Council to u-turn on car parking charges

A council is set to reverse its decision to treble car parking charges to help traders while a town's square is being redeveloped.

Tameside Council is expected to rubber-stamp the u-turn on Wednesday and introduce cheaper tariffs in Ashton-under-Lyne from 12 September.

It comes after prices in car parks across the borough were increased last year, with some charges rising from £1 to £3.50.

The move is aimed at minimising the disruption caused to local traders by work on the £20m redevelopment of the town's Market Square, according to a Tameside Council report.

Traders in the town have complained the hike in charges last September drove shoppers away.

A Freedom of Information request showed use of the Old Cross Street car park in Ashton-under-Lyne dropped by 22% during one week last October.

Sheila Brown, who runs the Busy Hands Wool Shop on Old Street, said the hike had a "massive impact" and completely wiped out "any passing trade".

"I'm happy that they're going back to normal, hopefully it's not too late," she said.

Spencer Grady, who runs a jewellery store on Market Avenue said the higher charges had been "putting people off".

"They're coming in here for a repair but they're not staying for a coffee," he said.

"They're just going to the bank or the post office, then running back to their cars.

"The damage to footfall has already been done."

The new car park tariffs are set to come into force on 12 September and will be reviewed after six months.

A council report said the aim was to support local traders and the community for a limited period of time whilst the redevelopment of Market Square is ongoing.

The project, funded by £20m of Levelling Up cash awarded by the previous government, will be spent on a huge canopy for outdoor traders.

The cash will also be used to help preserve Ashton Town Hall and spent on the old bus station, which closed in 2020.

Val Unwin of Decisions Clothing on Fletcher Street said she was "optimistic" about the redevelopment, but said the construction work was going to be "really difficult".

The parking charge increase had caused a "quite frightening" loss of footfall she said, adding the reduction was "long overdue".

The redevelopment of the market square is expected to be completed by October 2025.