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The Government has pledged to scrap High Street parking restrictions in a bid to boost flagging retail sales.
According to ERT, the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has describe the move as “standing up for local high streets.”
The change is essentially a reversal of the anti-car restrictions imposed by the previous Government in 2001, which saw local councils deliberately under-provide sufficient parking as a piece of ‘nudge policy’ to get people to use more public transport.
“Stressed-out drivers have to run the gauntlet of parking fines, soaring parking charges and a lack of parking spaces,” said Pickles. “These parking restrictions have hit small shops the hardest, creating ghost-town high streets which can’t compete with out-of-town supermarkets.”
The British Retail Consortium has welcomed the move, with it’s director of business and regulation, Tom Ironside, commenting: “It never made sense to have Whitehall interfering in this issue. Accessibility is crucial to the success of town centres. Shoppers look for good transport connections and plenty of affordable parking.”
