Herefordshire | Archive | 2003 | October | 2
From the archive, first published Thursday 2nd Oct 2003.
YOU report that councillor Mike Wilson proposes vastly increasing car-parking charges (some to be doubled) in Herefordshire.
The excuse is "the present system is grossly unfair." The solution is to make car-parking charges unfair for everyone.
Herefordshire is the most rural county in England, according to the emergency services, yet public transport is abysmal. Usually, the only means of reaching the towns and city is by private car.
The majority of people travel to Hereford for work, shopping, leisure activities, to study or to attend the hospital ( with its over-priced parking charges). I imagine no-one goes to Hereford for the pleasure of walking the streets.
People can only spend money once. Money spent on parking will not be spent in the shops, cafes, tourist attractions etc.
If Herefordshire wants shops, pubs, restaurants and tourist amenities to flourish, rather than increasing car-parking charges they should be dropped completely and the cost undertaken by the business community.
The Chamber of Commerce should wake up before there are only charity shops in this county. It will be the rural community and tourists who subsidise the "improved community transport" and the cost of replacing the pay and display equipment.
Before the council approve these new charges I suggest all free parking provided for councillors, wherever they meet, be withdrawn and they be asked to pay £1 an hour. It would concentrate their minds wonderfully, shorten council meetings and cut expenses. This money could be used to better purpose.
As for me, I stopped shopping in Worcester a couple of years ago when they increased car-parking charges and I shop in Hereford. Now it is "Goodbye, Hereford, with your lovely specialist shops." From now on it will be the local supermarket.
There are many towns in England where car-parking is free. Midsomer Norton in Somerset is an example.
JOYCE M EMMERSON,
Cradley.
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