Car park moon craters killing our businesses

Shop owners fear parking problems will see them close

- By MEGAN BANNER

BUSINESSES fear they could close within six months as ongoing parking issues are "forcing customers out.

Stella Precinct in Seaforth opened its doors to customers decades ago, but in recent months it has seen a huge drop in footfall due to ongoing parking issues at the shopping complex.

Pointing to the potholes that business owner Martin McEwan described as "moon craters", he told the ECHO how he, along with neighbouring shop owners, have been fighting to get the car park, which is privately owned by Creative Car Park, fixed for months as it's "damaging" their businesses.

But the pitted and cracked road surface is not the traders' only issue with the car park.

Last month, parking restrictions changes were implemented, which businesses claim they were given no warning of to alert their customers.

It meant dozens of motorists were hit with huge £100 parking fines for parking in the precinct's car park for a matter of minutes, despite allegedly getting 90 minutes free parking, as per the signage in the car park.

Speaking about the state of the car park, Martin, who owns Crosby Mobility, said: "It's not very good for our business, it puts people off coming to visit.

"We've had problems with the state of the car park for years but now the car parking restrictions have changed."

He added: "They first put restrictions in place around the back, then they delivered some signs that said you can get 90 minutes free parking, but they're not very clear.

"A couple of weeks ago these signs went up. Then there is a QR code too that we [the shops] all have in our windows.

"The first I knew of the issue was the other day [Saturday, July 5] when somebody came in who had a parking ticket, then someone else came in.

"These parking tickets started to arrive and I was getting a few phone calls from people who complained they'd had parking tickets when they visited so I rang the landlord.