VILLAGERS have complained that new parking charges are 'killing' local shops as drivers choose to go elsewhere instead.
Since May drivers in South Gloucestershire have had to pay to use council-owned car parks and shopkeepers in Winterbourne have already noticed the effects.
The parking charges were introduced by South Gloucestershire Council to help balance the books.
The charges are relatively cheap, such as only 70p for the first hour of parking in a short-stay space.
But this has still been enough to make many shoppers drive to big retail parks instead.
On Flaxpits Lane there is a row of a dozen shops including a Post Office, a barber, a chippy and a pharmacy, with a small car park behind some of the shops.
Several villagers spoke at a full council meeting on Wednesday, July 16, to share their concerns.
Michael Rich, who ran a photography business on the lane, said: “I was born in the three villages and the shops have always been busy and buzzing, and the car park has always been busy and buzzing.
"Everything worked very well until the council introduced parking fees. From that moment on, the car park has hardly had a single car in it.
"The shops are all suffering.
“I’ve spoken with all of them, they’ve all noticed a drop off in trade.
"Cars pull up, see that they can’t park outside, and drive off.
"What we’re asking for is that the car park provides one hour of free parking, and then charges for the second hour.
"The shopkeepers are parking in the side streets, and there’s a problem with neighbours finding they can’t park outside their own homes.”
Winterbourne is one of three villages close together just north of Bristol, along with Frampton Cotterell and Coalpit Heath.
While they all have a range of shops and services, the villages are also close to large shopping centres like Cribbs Causeway and along the North Fringe, with ample free parking.
Peter Bruce, who sits on Winterbourne Parish Council, added: “The parking has always been an important part of the sustainability of this little shopping area.
"All businesses have seen a reduction in revenue, and staff are having to park on residential side roads.
“It’s all too easy where we are to drive to the North Fringe retail parks, where there’s free parking.
"We’re killing the businesses that are there, and killing aspects that bring together the local community.
"It’s the centre of the place where people come and meet. It would be a great shame if this facility disappeared.”
An accountant whose business looks over the car park said he had counted only a few cars parked there each day since the charges were rolled out.
And one Winterbourne shopkeeper said he was losing hundreds of pounds every day in takings, due to the new parking charges.
Terrence Bone, who owns the Motorwell shop on Flaxpits Lane, said: “For seven years now I’ve worked four 12-hour nights as a breakdown recovery mechanic and four days in the shop trying to save the shop.
"It was getting better, locals were supporting the shop, and I packed my night-time job in. Now you’re charging for parking in the car park, it’s killed the trade.
“I’m down by £200 to £300 a day in my takings, because people now are going back online, Amazon, eBay, or to somewhere else where they can park.
"Residents are getting cars parked outside their houses now, because people who work in the shops can’t park for free no more.
"The shops were doing well. Why are you penalising this little shopping centre?”
These comments weren’t responded to during the meeting itself.
But parking charges were addressed by Labour Councillor Sean Rhodes, cabinet member for communities, in a written response to a councillor’s question.
He said resistance to the new charges was “natural”.
He said: “As with many significant changes, we expect a ‘settling in’ period while residents and visitors adjust to the new arrangements.
"Introducing charges where parking was previously free often prompts behavioural change, and it is natural for there to be some resistance or experimentation during this phase.
“We understand the importance of tracking these impacts, which is why a monitoring and evaluation framework has been developed.
"This includes monitoring car park usage, footfall, and business occupancy rates.
"Our aim is to ensure that the scheme supports our town centres while generating necessary revenue to help protect other council services.”
He added that the council carried out a study early last year to understand how car parks were used, which informed decisions on rolling out the charges.
Staff will monitor and evaluate the effect of the charges, including how much car parks are used.
More data will be collected and analysed after an “initial adjustment period”, which will inform the council’s future decisions too.
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