BUSINESSES in Liskeard want concessions on parking and will continue to ask for support, says chair of the town’s Traders Association Lin Moore.

“I think we should be asking for an extension of the free parking for six months,” she said.

“I don’t think the seaside towns need so much help this year, I feel they will thrive, it’s the inland market towns that could do with it.

“But I don’t want to be moaning at the moment, the new council has only just come in and I’m hoping we’ll be able to work really well with them.”

One suggestion, says Lin, is to have the first hour free.

“But I think we’d need barriers in that case so that people can pay for what they use,” she added.

Lin’s personal view is to introduce free parking from 10am in the town centre, and encourage working people to use the town’s outer car parks.

“The previous Cornwall Council has had a £600,000 Welcome Back Fund for the high street,” she said, “some of this could have gone into parking, and there’s other things that money could be spent on to help welcome people back into the town.”

She said she had asked the previous council for help on behalf of the Traders with the task of watering the flowers.

The Cornish Times spoke to a few drivers using Westbourne Car Park on Tuesday lunchtime, when the car park was almost full. Joan Wilton from Higher Tremar is registered disabled. She says she used to have concessionary parking but now has to pay a certain amount each year. “I think having the free parking is a good idea,” she said, “it would encourage more people into the town.”

David Fitzpatrick has lived locally for 45 years, and has seen various changes to the parking charges in Liskeard. He described the Council as “greedy”.

“All they had to do is leave it like it used to be – 50p for an hour,” he said.

John Thompson, visiting Cornwall from Warrington in Cheshire, had a different viewpoint.

“I don’t mind paying for parking, so long as I know it’s going back in to support the local area,” he said.

“I’ve been in places where they charge a lot more than here.”

Also on holiday was Kathy from Hook, near Basingstoke, who said that her parish council had introduced two hours of free parking in its car park.

“Concessions would be a good idea to encourage people to visit the town and come shopping here. There’s a lot of people that won’t pay charges, certainly not high ones.”

We also asked the opinion of a couple of businesses with premises near to Westbourne Car Park.

Russell Hall at Liskeard Cycles, said he hadn’t noticed a particular increase in footfall during the free parking period, and that it had been quiet. He said he felt parking should be free for the first 20 minutes.

“A lot of people just want to come in for one thing, or to get their lunch,” he said.

At The Bookshop, Jackie Skillicorn said: “It has been great that the parking has been free since January, it has helped.

“It seems strange that as soon as restrictions lift and you want to welcome people back, the charge has been reintroduced.”

Her husband and business co-owner Bob said that a couple of customers had also made mention of it in a tongue in cheek but frustrated way.

“I do think that for Cornwall Council, if they were thinking of stimulating the recovery and supporting the shops, a bit more free parking would have helped. I wouldn’t say we are against charging for parking, the Council have got to make revenue, but a certain amount free would be good.”

The couple felt that a phased approach to the reintroduction of charges could have worked.

Jackie added that a knock-on effect of having a lay-by outside the shop where people can park free is that these spaces are often used, meaning that she and Bob have to pay to park when loading or unloading deliveries.

What do you think? Should free parking be extended – or should concessions be introduced?

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