Parking fees plan dubbed 'disastrous' by traders

21 hours ago

Laura CoffeyNorthamptonshire political reporter

News image — John Taylor said car parking charges would hit trade in Brackley town centre

Laura Coffey/BBC A head-and-shoulders picture of John Taylor, who is wearing glasses and is looking at the camera. He has a ginger beard flecked with grey and is wearing a brown checked shirt. The background, a room with plain cream walls and a wooden door, is out of focus. — John Taylor said car parking charges would hit trade in Brackley town centre

Business owners are concerned proposals to introduce parking charges in a market town could be "disastrous".

West Northamptonshire Council is considering car parking charges in Brackley. The plan is part of the council's draft budget for 2026-27, set to be approved in February.

But John Taylor, owner of Taylor Vets in Brackley, said: "It's an absolutely disastrous proposal. The long term the effects on the town centre economy are going to be catastrophic."

The authority said the proposals "aren't guaranteed to be implemented".

'Delicate ecosystem'

Parking is currently free in Brackley but, if the proposed charges are passed, fees could range from 50p for 30 minutes to £5.50 for five hours.

Taylor opened the vets in 2023, partly because of the lack of parking charges in the town centre.

"If there had been parking charges, we wouldn't have [opened and invested money in renovating the building] because there wouldn't be as much footfall in the town centre.

"The town centre is a really delicate ecosystem.

"Once you start to get boarded over shop fronts... that local economic activity goes down and the town will die," he said.

Laura Coffey/BBC A woman in a red coat looks at the camera. — Sarah Eastman fears she would have to close her deli if the parking charges come into effect

Sarah Eastman, owner of Brackley Kitchen Deli, said: "[The parking charges] would probably kill our trade because a lot of people will go elsewhere.

"Our footfall will die and we'll probably have to close.

"I'd love to expand, but with what's being proposed for 2027-28 I'm not looking at doing that at the moment," she said.

Laura Coffey/BBC Sarah Bool MP for South Northamptonshire wearing a black jacket she has blonde hair and is smiling at the camera — Sarah Bool, Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, opposes the council's proposals

Sarah Bool, the Conservative MP for South Northamptonshire, has started a petition opposing parking charges.

"It would be absolutely detrimental and kill off our market towns and our high streets," she said.

"We need people to be coming in to our shops supporting our businesses and this will deter that," she said.

The MP will hold two public meetings about the charges, one in Towcester and one in Brackley, later this month.

The Reform UK leader of West Northamptonshire Council, Mark Arnull, said: "The draft budget are proposals that we are considering, they aren't guaranteed to be implemented.

"It is good that we're hearing people say what they think and we will act on what we hear.

"It can't be, in my view at the moment, a complete whitewash of guaranteeing free parking everywhere."

The local authority's parking proposals would also affect Towcester and Daventry.

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