CAMPAIGNERS fighting the possible introduction of parking charges in Holmes Chapel fear businesses could close and tourism suffer if the fees go ahead.
Cheshire East Council is currently consulting on proposals to introduce charges in ‘free-parking’ towns and to revise charges – mainly upwards - in those which already pay.
But traders in Holmes Chapel fear charges could be the final nail in the coffin and tomorrow (Saturday) shops and businesses throughout the village – including the W Mandeville Bakers shop where singer Harry Styles worked as a teenager – will be displaying large posters stating:” We don’t want Holmes Chapel to be closing down.”
Louise Metcalfe, who runs Miola on London Road, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I park my car on the free car park when I’m working here all day, so does my cook. My electricity bill’s gone up to silly money and takings have gone down because, with the cost of living crisis, people are being careful, so I’m not going to add more costs for myself when I don’t need to.
“There’s plenty of residential areas where I can go and park, but then the residents will get sick of that and it has a knock-on effect.”
She said shoppers will opt for bigger out-of-town centres with free parking if charges are introduced in Holmes Chapel.
Louise also believes businesses may find it hard to keep existing staff or attract new workers.
“If they’re saying it’s going to cost me £4.30 a day to park, are they going to bother taking the job, or find another one where they don’t have to pay that?” she said.
Alison Sumner, who runs Sandwiches Direct, agreed, saying if charges are introduced people won’t come into the village.
“It’s hard enough as it is to get people into the village and into your shop,” she said.
Hope Collis, manager of The Beer Emporium, said: “I think we’ve already been through enough stress during Covid. We’re trying to encourage people to come to the village and visit and it’s just another obstacle we don’t need.”
Cllr Andrew Kolker (Con) who represents Holmes Chapel on Cheshire East, is backing the villagers.
“I completely object to car parking charges in a village, which this is,” he said. “In all the council documents it’s car parking charges in towns, this is a village.
"It’s a vibrant village, it’s a successful village and we don’t want to undermine that success by petty-minded bureaucracy introducing car parking charges on two tiny car parks in Holmes Chapel.”
He added: “They’re the only two car parks that allow long-stay parking so, if you’re a worker in a shop at the moment, you’ve got no option but to park in either those two car parks or the residential streets around Holmes Chapel.”
In a statement released when Cheshire East launched the parking charges consultation, deputy leader Craig Browne (Ind) said: “The inherited legacy where some residents pay to park [such as Crewe, Nantwich and Knutsford] and others do not has caused a sense of unfairness.
“The council is proposing to address this imbalance – taking into account each town’s characteristics – while also responding to the higher costs of maintaining our car parks, which require regular resurfacing, improved lighting and markings and the installation of EV charging points.”
The parking consultation runs until November 1 and the proposals can be viewed here
Representations to the proposals must be emailed to: carparksreview2023@cheshireeast.gov.uk
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