Does car parking prices put you off the High Street? Ashford Borough Council has announced it will be introducing a range of changes to parking fees in some council run car parks to help attract more visitors into the town centres and support our town centre retailers. The changes include: Free parking on Sundays and Bank Holidays at the Edinburgh Road (multi-story) car park in Ashford; Free parking on Sunday and Bank Holidays at the Flour Mills car park in Ashford; Free parking on Sunday and Bank Holidays at the Bridewell Lane car park in Tenterden; Free after 3pm in Edinburgh Road car park every day of the week; and in Station Road, Ashford on Sundays and Bank Holidays. A further discount scheme in Bridewell Lane car park, Tenterden will also be supported, subject to on-going discussions with the Tenterden Parking Forum. This initiative follows a borough wide review of parking and aims to support the business community in our town centres by encouraging more visitors, boosting trade and making the high street an attractive option for new business ventures. The scheme has been developed following an extensive review of our car parks, research on what other towns are doing and consultation with various stakeholders. It also takes into account changes in parking technology and government guidance. Cllr Bernard Heyes, portfolio holder for transportation, highways and engineering, said: Over the past year we have undertaken an extensive review of our parking policy throughout the borough, including researching how other councils operate and seeking the views of various stakeholders. As a consequence I am sure that these bold initiatives will attract more visitors, encourage vibrant town centres and boost trade which ultimately improve our high streets fortunes. Ashford is one of only 27 Portas Pilot towns across the country and these changes are part of a range of initiatives being introduced to breathe new life into our high street such as the new Farmers Market, PopUp Ashford, T-CAT, Love Ashford website and Revelation St Marys busking initiative. The council is also planning on replacing many of the existing parking payment terminals in our car parks and on-street. As well as cash payments the new terminals will enable payment by phone and credit/debit card and wave & pay contactless technology. The new terminals will start to be rolled out later in the year as part of an ongoing repair and renewal programme. bit.ly/1rY7VJ6
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 09:30:03 +0000
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