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Town's parking charges increase 'defies belief'

Richard SteadNorth West
BBC Photograph of a town centre car park in Stockport. The image shows several cars and in the background is St Mary's Church.BBC
The increase in car parking charges will apply to all town centre car parks in Stockport.

A group of traders at Stockport Indoor Market have said increased car parking charges will hit business hard.

The local council has announced plans to increase the basic price to park for an hour by almost 40%, as part of plans to raise £500,000.

Harrison Marsland, 30, who runs Stockport Provisions at the indoor market hall, said: "The market is thriving but we want to increase dwell time, and if shoppers are stressed about parking then they can't spend more time here."

The council said it believed the proposed charges to be "fairly comparable" with those in nearby towns.

Photograph of Harrison Marslend, who is a trader at Stockport Indoor Market Hall. The 30 year-old is pictured in front of his stall. He is wearing a blue demin overall and a woolly hat.
The market trader Harrison Marsland said people would not stay as long if parking costs go up

The cost of using the town centre car parks is currently £1.10 for one hour, but the authority wants to increase that to £1.50.

The cost would also rise from £2.20 to £3.00 for two hours and from £3.30 to £4.50 for three hours, with costs increasing every hour up to 12 hours.

Grace Baynham, cabinet member for parks, highways and transport services at Stockport Council, said: "We're looking at a small uplift on town centre car parks and we think its fairly comparable with neighbouring towns of a similar size."

Photograph of the Victorian indoor market hall in Stockport town centre.
Stockport Council said the town centre attracted around 12 million visitors last year

Baynham added: "We'll be monitoring how these changes affect footfall and we want to encourage people to look at different forms of transport, while not putting off people who really need to park in Stockport town centre".

Stockport Council also recently introduced parking charges at some car parks which were previously free to use.

Photograph of Mark Gough, who has a stall at Stockport Indoor Market Hall. The 42 year-old is pictured in front of his craft beer and wine.
Mark Gough sells craft beer and wine at Stockport Indoor Market Hall.

Robert Downes from the Federation of Small Businesses said increasing the charges "defied belief", adding: "People need to have easy access to a town centre and it is really depressing to think that a council could push this through."

Mark Gough, who sells craft beer and wine at Stockport Indoor Market Hall, said: "Shoppers are just going to be pushed towards supermarkets where there's free parking.

"But they don't provide the same customer service that independent businesses do.

"If people are rushing they're just not going to buy as much," added the 42 year-old.

Stockport Council's annual budget will be voted on by councillors on February 26.

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