Shoppers will now be able to park for free in the town centre on Sundays, in a bid to improve the economic landscape for traders.
The ambitious new parking plan will begin in April and run for at least a year - with a possibility of being rolled out to include more days if the numbers stack up.
Coun Oliver Donachie, the council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Prosperity explained: “There are two parts to this decision. Firstly, we are trying to increase the customer experience of the town centre offering and to make this as competitive as possible. We are trying to generate an increased footfall in the town centre.
“And additionally, by allowing free parking on a Sunday, we hope to provide a potential extra 52 days of trading. It is our hope that this could be an extra factor in helping support those smaller traders especially in the face of increased competition from digital sales. I’m not suggesting that this will solve all the problems they face, but we hope that it will go some way towards that.
“It’s my aspiration to find a model that will work for town centre traders. It’s a numbers game we need to ask what can we afford as a council that has to find £30 million of savings in the same number of months?”
Mr Donachie broadly hinted that, if the economic case allows, free parking could be rolled out to include other days.
“It’s my genuine aspiration, if this is successful, to build on this scheme - but the numbers need to stack up.”
His aspirations were echoed by Coun Dale Heenan, SBC’s Cabinet Member for the Town Centre who said: "Free parking on Sundays. No strings attached. This is the new town centre parking policy for the next 12 months.
“Cllr Donachie and his team have worked hard to come up with a plan that makes free parking work. Every other idea over the years has seen losses of £500,000 or more but this is the first to work for Swindon.
“I hope local residents, and businesses, use this opportunity to support our town centre, as we all wrestle with the challenge of online shopping and the changing high street"
“Coun Oliver Donachie and I are hoping we can use this opportunity to support our local business groups, especially in light of the challenges they face with the impact of digital sales. It is our hope that by creating a potential further 52 days of trade (for those who choose to open on a Sunday) it will offer them a boost.”
“We would also welcome any genuinely constructive feedback on what further changes people are looking for in the town centre experience.”
Feedback received during the 12-month scheme will be used to shape future parking policy.
Your Comments
A couple of months ago Mrs May stood up in parliment & announced Austerity is OVER! How come this is not being reflected with the councils? You are offering a free day of parking which is great but on the other side you pleading poverty & telling us you can’t afford to offer this blah blah blah. We’re ran by a Tory council who are happy to take another £30mil in cuts depriving Swindon residents. This is you party in power, stand up & defend us against your bosses, austerity is not over its all lies from tories. I’m sure that this free parking day was pre planned along time ago, hence the parking increase last year. Always a catch with the tories, you can bet you bottom dollar that there will be another parking increase by summer. All looks good on the surface.......
Posted: 21 February 2019, 3.54PM by: hoopskes
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