BRIDGNORTH people are being urged not to become complacent in the row over parking in the town. The warning comes from resident Ron Richards, who is worried people may think the battle against parking fees is over following Shropshire Council’s announcement last week that parking meters would not be installed on Bridgnorth High Street.
But Mr Richards has pointed out that Pay and Display machines will still be put on other historic streets in the town if the proposals put forward in the council’s new
parking strategy go ahead.
“We have many conservation areas in the town and I’m concerned that installing these machines will have a detrimental impact upon the historic street scene,” said Mr Richards, of St Leonard’s Close.
“Putting these things on our streets is simply unacceptable – they won’t look right and they will turn our historic streets into nothing more than car parks. Residents’ lives will be made a misery. The consultation doesn’t end until October and I want people to tell the council that we don’t want parking machines in Bridgnorth town, full stop.”
Shropshire Council said any on-street parking machines would be placed ‘as sensitively as possible’. Samantha Tharme, the council’s principal transport planner, said: “Shropshire Council has been looking at a number of potential changes for parking across the county.
“This has included looking at new on-street parking charges in some towns. However, during consultation we have had feedback on these proposals and are now recommending that up to 45 minutes on-street free parking is maintained in market towns which don’t have Park & Ride.
“Introduction of parking meters on Bridgnorth High Street was not part of the proposal. Where we do charge, on-street ticket machines are placed as sensitively as possible as we do in Shrewsbury and Ludlow.”
Local MP Philip Dunne said he was pleased to learn Shropshire Council had listened to the concerns of residents, following last week’s revelation meters would not be used in High Street.
“I know this was something many people were worried about and it shows the council are prepared to listen,” he said.