Campaign for free parking '˜must go on'

'˜Spilsby should never give up campaigning for free parking across the town'.

This is the call from townspeople just one week before a legal notice is published by East Lindsey District Council announcing a 28-day countdown to the Boston Road car park becoming free once again.

Charges were introduced at the car park and others in the Market Place and Post Office Lane three years ago.

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However, ‘horrendous’ parking problems, including ‘drivers parking on yellow lines and near pedestrian crossings’, were highlighted a year ago by former Mayor, Coun Peter Grant.

The Spilsby Standard visited the town on Monday to see if residents welcomed the U-turn decision on car park charges and found just one vehicle parked in the Boston Road car park, in spite of it being market day.

Simon Johnson, of Simons Butchers, in Market Street, said: “The Boston Road car park won’t really help businesses in town. It’s not conducive to shopping because it’s still a good walk uphill into town and not one you want to make afterwards with heavy shopping bags.

“A lot of holiday cottages are opening for Easter but more people might be encouraged to shop around town if they did not have to pay car park charges on top on whatever the spend in town.

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“The only way the Boston Road decision will help me is I have a unit on the industrial estate alongside it and lorries have been parking on the roads there to avoid charges, making it difficult for other vehicles to get round.”

In the Market Place there were just two stalls. Eric Turnbull has run a pet stall there for three years and thinks East Lindsey District Council should go even further to help small towns.

He said: “People still try to park in the Market Place on market days because there are hardly any stalls and they can see the parking spaces.

“This stall has been here 10 years so I do all right because I have regular customers. But the council needs to consider not charging stallholders in the winter and then increasing the charges in the summer when there are more people around - that way they might attract more stalls and keep them.”

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Spilsby Town Council is hoping the news about the Boston Road Car Park will be well-received by residents.

However, Mayor Coun Julia Pears said: “The campaign to give market town car parks no charges must continue. Now ELDC has the revenue [from business rates] they should start supporting small towns like Spilsby.”

According to East Lindsey District Council, no further changes in car park charges are being considered at 
this time. However, a spokesman said: “Regular car park users can purchase a parking permit from the council, which offers significantly reduced parking rates and flexibility.”

Read more:

Scrapping charges would alleviate horrendous problems with parking says Mayor

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http:/here/www.skegnessstandard.co.uk/what-s-on/arts-leisure/scrapping-charges-would-alleviate-horrendous-problems-with-parking-says-mayor-1-6632968#ixzz42IqbxfhG were highlighted a year ago by the then Mayor, Coun Peter Grant,