Mill parking fee is slashed after resident protest

A £80-a-month charge to park outside a converted Stockport mill has been lowered after residents hit out at the ‘outrageous’ fee.

- BY DECLAN CASEY

People living at Meadow Mill, near Portwood roundabout and the M60, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) of their frustration at the payment, especially after heavy flooding on New Year's Day left the car park submerged in water.

The owners of the building, Awal Investment, had planned to enforce the £80 charge at the site from September, but dropped the cost to £40 a month instead after meetings with stakeholders.

There are more than 200 apartments at the mill and around 35 parking bays are privately owned, with the rest subject to parking fees.

Steven Shepherd had moved into the mill just weeks ago, renting an apartment from an estate agency, but said he only learned about the charge from speaking to other residents.

“It's not affordable really, I don’t think we'd be able to pay it, I think I'd have to just walk everywhere,” he said.

“If you pay £80 a month for it, what happens if you can’t find a space?

“We've got a 12-year-old son and we take him out in the car”

Doug Franks, 29, said: “I’m paying to park at Tesco [across the road] at the moment, but we've got a daughter so getting her in and out is not as convenient.