'Shops are suffering' Call for council to reconsider unpopular parking fees

VILLAGERS have complained new parking charges are killing local shops as drivers choose to go elsewhere instead.

- Alex SEABROOK

Since May drivers in South Gloucestershire have had to pay to use council-owned car parks and shopkeepers in Winterbourne have already noticed the effects.

The parking charges were introduced by South Gloucestershire Council to help balance the books. The charges are relatively cheap, such as only 70p for the first hour of parking in a short-stay space. But this has still been enough to make many shoppers drive to big retail parks instead.

On Flaxpits Lane there is a row of a dozen shops including a Post Office, a barber, a chippy and a pharmacy, with a small car park behind some of the shops. Several villagers spoke at a council meeting to share their concerns.