Businesses fight back over impact of charges for parking in Petworth
Petworth is to receive £10,000 from Chichester District Council to help offset the impact of the council's own car parking charges.
A further 10,000 could also be heading the town's way from the South East of England Development Agency, to help fund means of boosting Petworth's fragile economy as the introduction of charging looms next April.
The cash input has been achieved by the town's business association, which was re-formed two years ago and is proving a forceful voice for Petworth.
It comes at a time when Midhurst's equivalent, the Chamber of Trade, has been dissolved due to lack of support.
Petworth Business Association chairman Jackie Tudor said the group had set up an action committee to consider how to use the money.
It was seeking ideas from its 60 members on how to minimise the impact of the charges by making people want to come to the town for what it had to offer even without the attraction of free parking.
Improved or new signage, a big town map and better noticeboards were among potential plans.
And there was also discussion about installing a pedestrian crossing in Church Street to the cobbled Lombard Street, to help lure Petworth House visitors into the town.
Talks are also being sought with the Co-op, which took over the Somerfield store, for a scheme to refund parking fees to customers if they spend over a certain amount in the shop.
A fierce but fruitless campaign was waged by Petworth Business Association, alongside Midhurst traders, against parking charges in both towns. Now there needed to be a change of tack, Mrs Tudor said.
"One of the things we have to do is get away from the negativity of parking charges. The charges are coming and we can't change that. There will be negative publicity as there has been in Midhurst and we have to change that into positive publicity.
"That is what we are looking at, and if we need to spend some of the money to do that, we will."
She added she did not think visitors coming from a longer distance would be deterred by having to pay to park.
"We are being very proactive in trying to find ways of eliminating the misery of the charging coming in and increase the footfall in the town," Mrs Tudor declared.
"Everyone in the association is working in tandem, rather than going their separate ways. They want to see the town succeed."
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Weather for Chichester
Wednesday 30 May 2012
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