Free parking scheme ENDS from today, as business owners say the loss to customer trade will be "devestating".....
1st Feb 2023 08:31am
Parking subsidies which allowed motorists to enjoy three hours of free parking in the town has come to an end today despite pleas from local businesses saying that the move will cause further loss of trade.
It comes as Hartlepool Borough Council gave locals a weeks notice that parking charges for motorists to park in or around the towns Middleton Grange Shopping Centre were to revert back to normal following the decision made by the Tees Valley Combined Authoroity not to extend the scheme any further.
It means that motorists will now have to pay £1.00 for two hours to park in the areas Middleton Grange Shopping Centre, with charges differing in other localtions of the town depending on whether it’s a long stay of short stay car park.
But businesses have hit back at the councils refusal to extend the scheme through the councils own finances claiming that the introduction of three hours free parking allowed businesses to see a noticeable increase in trade, only now to fear that the subsequent loss of shoppers who arelikley to go elsewhere leading to claims some businesses will see it as the last straw & subsequently close their doors for good.
Jd Gyms is expecting a loss of a number of members over the councils decision not to subsidise the free parking themselves...
One local business JD Gyms is expecting to see a drop in the number of its members due to the reintroduction of the parking fees with some members saying that the £1.00 to park every two hours for five days a week will add a further £20.00 to their costs, leading to some looking to cancel their memberships & move to other facilities that offer free parking.
Its been seen by some as the death knell for Middleton Grange, that’s soon to see considerable investment works as part of a £25.0 Million Pound redevelopment of the shopping centre after years of decay & loss of a number of major high street brands, with many saying that the loss of the free parking scheme now will lead to shoppers simply going elsewhere out of Hartlepool, & again leaving the towns shopping centre “like a ghost town”.
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