Pub licensee starts petition over Bingley parking fees plan (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Pub licensee starts petition over Bingley parking fees plan
11:06pm Sunday 22nd January 2012 in News
Landlord David Edmondson, of The Harvesters in Bingley, with his petition
A Bingley pub licensee has started a petition against proposed additional parking charges in the town.
David Edmondson, who runs The Harvester in Chapel Street, has collected more than 100 signatures in a matter of days after putting his petition out on the bar for customers to sign.
He said: “There has been a very positive response and it is clear people don’t want parking charges. It might not affect me directly because my customers normally walk here but it will kill business in the rest of the town.
“No-one is going to pay £1 to park so they can buy £2 of pork chops or a £1 sandwich. A few people have been complaining about it so I have decided to do something about it.”
Bradford Council has proposed introducing additional parking charges in Bingley, Shipley, Keighley and Ilkley to stimulate trade by creating a higher turnover of customers.
The proposals would generate £250,000 for the Council every year.
Formal consultation will take place with retailers and other town centre users before a final decision is made by the Council’s executive committee.
Mr Edmondson said at least ten other business in Bingley had asked for copies of the petition and he estimated that up to 1,000 people may have already signed them. He added: “If people don’t want to pay parking charges they need to voice their opinion. Some people might just say it isn’t going to affect me but five months from now when the butcher shop or the sandwich shop closes down it will affect them.”
Councillor Mark Shaw (Con, Bingley) gave his support to the petition. He said: “I am astounded Bradford Council can even consider trying to destroy all the hard work to build Bingley up by introducing charges.”
Councillor David Green, Bradford Council’s executive member for regeneration, economy and sustainability, stressed there were no fixed plans to introduce parking charges in Bingley and there would be a public consultation before any decision was made.
Comments(5)
thepointis
says...
11:42am Mon 23 Jan 12
Given that they already turn over then this is simply a cash generator .
What the council planners have not looked into is that what they gain in one hand will be lost from the other ....people will simply stop using the areas and trade will drop...shops will close ect.
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
12:37pm Mon 23 Jan 12
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Look Mr Green, your council came out and said it would generate a turnover of customers by having people drop in and drop out of places like Bingley and increase a turnover of shoppers.
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Everyone can see the above was complete rubbish and if a second had been taken to look at the current parking restrictions rather than the pot of money you thought would be generated you would see that parking is restricted in large parts of the City anyway so turnover of customers is already underway.
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If anything the hour limit is too little as if you have lunch in a pub or cafe you have about 10min to do anything else.
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Mr Green and Co announced this without doing any groundwork what so ever and are now backtracking like mad because everyone realises it's just to generate income for the council to fritter away elsewhere.
BertSanders
says...
7:26pm Mon 23 Jan 12
I have been a shopkeeper in Bingley - (pre bypass) and it is quite obvious the Council man knows little about retailing.
I thought things were improving slowly, but this will be a real setback
The Council will not collect much anyway but perhaps it will save a few Town Hall jobs. Another success for internet retail!
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rosesrwhite
says...
1:19pm Wed 25 Jan 12
yorkshiredude says...
11:32am Mon 23 Jan 12