Is free parking a ticket to High Street prosperity?

6:10am Wednesday 6th February 2013 in News By Joanna Morris

WHAT PRICE? A shopper pays to park in Middlesbrough - but a vote on Tuesday will decide whether to offer free parking for two hours for a trial period to boost flagging town centre trade WHAT PRICE? A shopper pays to park in Middlesbrough - but a vote on Tuesday will decide whether to offer free parking for two hours for a trial period to boost flagging town centre trade

Joanna Morris asks if Middlesbrough's plan in the solution to trading woes or throwing money down the drain?

ACCORDING to retailing expert Mary Portas affordable parking will play a key role in saving Britain's High Streets from irreversible decline.

The Government's retailing advisor made cheap parking one of the key recommendations in her review of High Street shopping published in 2011.

Middlesbrough Council’s proposals to offer shoppers free town centre parking in an effort to boost trade are in line with her recommendations. However, reactions to the scheme have been mixed.

Retailers in neighbouring towns fear the free parking offer will lead to a loss of business and other councils have been forced on the defensive.

However, the scheme also faced criticism closer to home. 

Debbie Anderson, manager of Middlesbrough's Cleveland Centre shopping mall, said: “Retailers are in difficulty at the moment and we are all left with empty units that we are struggling to fill.

"More needs to be done in the town to improve the environment and keep the streets safe and clean for shoppers. There is a much bigger picture. This parking initiative is not going to be the solution to the issues we have got.”

Other councils expressed doubt as to the viability of the initiative. Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: "Middlesbrough will be reliant on car parking income for services, like every other authority. It is difficult to see how they are going to raise that money now.

"I can see the impact of having free parking, it will boost shops, but with the potential loss of revenue to the local authority, there is a danger that they could end up worse off…How much trade this will actually generate is debatable.”

Mike Smith, a councillor in neighbouring Stockton, said: “Free parking is difficult to manage and our experience in Yarm, when no enforcement was in place, meant that the turn-over of visitors was much reduced and had a detrimental impact on retailers.”

Former mayor of Yarm, Jason Hadlow - who unsuccessfully fought to ban Stockton Borough Council from implementing car parking charges in the town - disagreed.

He said: “Car parking charges do not work. Private landlords do not charge for parking because they know it would kill their business…I congratulate Middlesbrough Council for their brave decision, which is the right decision to save the town.”

The leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council – which is set to review its parking charges - said he did not think free parking in Middlesbrough would entice visitors away from the East Cleveland area.

Councillor George Dunning added: “We have a lot of regeneration projects going on and I am confident visitors will be attracted to the area as a result. I would like to wish Middlesbrough all the luck in the world and hope that they do manage to get more people to visit the town.”

Parking campaigner Beryl Hankin, who runs the Guru boutique, in Darlington,  said cheap parking was the key to future prosperity.

The owner of Saltburn's Pet Centre, Peter Fulcher, is fighting the implementation of parking charges in Saltburn.  He said: "Nobody should be charged for parking in any town centre.  There should be free parking for all if they want people to use facilities in their town."

Northallerton trader Marcus Grover, of Grovers Toymaster, said: “Shoppers want convenience and if they don’t have to rummage around in their pockets for loose change or go into a shop to get the change they need for a parking meter it makes a lot of difference to a shopper.”

“I absolutely think shopping in Middlesbrough will be more attractive to people from outside the area if there is free parking – people certainly like to use the two hours of free disc parking available in Northallerton.”

Comments (5)

10:49am Wed 6 Feb 13

judygone says...

With comments like this.-
"Middlesbrough will be reliant on car parking income for services, like every other authority. It is difficult to see how they are going to raise that money now.
Would Bill dixon would rather see a dead town centre ?
Typical of the fools running darlington.
With comments like this.- "Middlesbrough will be reliant on car parking income for services, like every other authority. It is difficult to see how they are going to raise that money now. Would Bill dixon would rather see a dead town centre ? Typical of the fools running darlington. judygone

12:39pm Wed 6 Feb 13

oliviaden6 says...

Our towns and cities need a injection of energy. What better way to do it, lets have a level playing field remove the charges for the first two hours and i feel it would generate trade.
As for Middlesborough saying they will loose 300,000 in revenue it goes to only show how much these councils are making a year off the motorists and public in general. Is there a record of the how these monies are spent?
Our towns and cities need a injection of energy. What better way to do it, lets have a level playing field remove the charges for the first two hours and i feel it would generate trade. As for Middlesborough saying they will loose 300,000 in revenue it goes to only show how much these councils are making a year off the motorists and public in general. Is there a record of the how these monies are spent? oliviaden6

1:32pm Wed 6 Feb 13

The Publicist says...

The Mayor of Middlesbrough’s plans to introduce 2 hours free parking in its car parks is a small - and only a small step - in the right direction. Middlesbrough Council along with all other local authorities in the north-east have been using the motorist as a cash cow for decades, the result being that retailers, particularly small retailers in town centre locations have suffered and out of town shopping centres have benefited. The millions of pounds that councils raise each year from parking charges is supposed to be ring fenced and only spent on transport services – a fact that Mr Mallon was oblivious to when he was interviewed on BBC Radio Tees this morning (6 February). Darlington Council in the last financial year made a profit of £1.3 million pounds on all parking charges and fines. Where has this money been spent? On transport services or is it being put illegally into the Council’s coffers?
The Mayor of Middlesbrough’s plans to introduce 2 hours free parking in its car parks is a small - and only a small step - in the right direction. Middlesbrough Council along with all other local authorities in the north-east have been using the motorist as a cash cow for decades, the result being that retailers, particularly small retailers in town centre locations have suffered and out of town shopping centres have benefited. The millions of pounds that councils raise each year from parking charges is supposed to be ring fenced and only spent on transport services – a fact that Mr Mallon was oblivious to when he was interviewed on BBC Radio Tees this morning (6 February). Darlington Council in the last financial year made a profit of £1.3 million pounds on all parking charges and fines. Where has this money been spent? On transport services or is it being put illegally into the Council’s coffers? The Publicist

5:29pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Voice-of-reality says...

Well done Middlesbrough - I shall, for the first time ever, do my weekly shopping there this weekend.
Well done Middlesbrough - I shall, for the first time ever, do my weekly shopping there this weekend. Voice-of-reality

9:59pm Wed 6 Feb 13

Andy Brook says...

What a great decision by Middlesbrough council & to the council leaders who disagree i will quote Eric Pickles MP" The shopping tax that is putting more money in the pot for Local councils which is car parking charges, which they think is a quick win is actually killing our towns" I hope that the leader of Richmondshire District council is listening.!!!! Well done Middlesbrough i just hope its not too late.
What a great decision by Middlesbrough council & to the council leaders who disagree i will quote Eric Pickles MP" The shopping tax that is putting more money in the pot for Local councils which is car parking charges, which they think is a quick win is actually killing our towns" I hope that the leader of Richmondshire District council is listening.!!!! Well done Middlesbrough i just hope its not too late. Andy Brook

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