Beford and Kempston MP Richard Fuller has called on the government to implement parking recommendations from the Portas Review to help local shops during a visit with Costcutter retailer Shailesh Patel and other local businesses.
Patel’s Costcutter store has been serving members of the community for over 20 years, although recent tightening of parking regulations have had a damaging effect on his trade.
Speaking after the visit, Fuller said: “Following the recent debate in Parliament on Mary Portas’s report on improving town centres, I wanted to know what was uppermost in local store owners’ concerns. Andy and Shailesh wanted to talk to me about their frustration with the lack of parking bays, the cost of parking, and the seemingly constant presence of the ANPR (automatic number plate recognition) vehicles.
“ANPR was originally aimed at hot spots where illegal parking can be particularly dangerous – for example outside schools – or for identifying more significant criminal offenders. These are welcome, but ANPR vehicles are seemingly morphing into cash machines for the council to catch anyone who risks a quick stop to pick up a paper.
“I am not a fan of this change and I hope the council consultation on parking will consider the impact on stores like Andy’s and Shailesh’s, as well as the Portas Report’s recommendation for free controlled parking schemes to encourage people back to our town centres.”
ACS chief executive, James Lowman, said: “Visits like these show how important it is for MPs to engage with the businessmen at the heart of their constituencies. We welcome Mr Fuller’s calls and will be eagerly awaiting the government’s official response to the Portas Review recommendations.”
Fuller also spoke on the subject of business rates, calling on the government to “better support small businesses and independent retailers”.
Source: ACS
