Christmas Shopping is coming.

Firstly this week can I say a big thank you to everyone who is reading this blog on a regular basis, we now have hundreds of hardcore supporters and it is very gratifying that people take the time to read and contribute. For those who send me comments, again many thanks, there have been some very useful and thought provoking contributions, not all agreeing, but hey it's a free country. If you want me to publish your comments, please identify yourself, and provided there is nothing libellous, I am happy to display what you have written, however I won't publish anonymous contributions no matter how good they are.
My parking scheme for Shepton is going full steam ahead, we now have 23 businesses signed up, with another 3 or 4 due to make up their mind during the next week. There will be plenty of high profile work over the next few weeks to try to ensure that everyone is aware of the scheme, and it has shown how the traders and council can work together for the common good.
I did get one criticism this week from someone querying the administration costs for the project, can I just confirm that apart from the £1100 set up costs that Mendip are covering, there is zero ongoing administration, we are merely asking the participating businesses to tell us at the end of the trial whether they found it scheme beneficial, and a rough idea of how many times they gave a refund. We don't need any other information, but will want an opinion as to whether the scheme is continued after the trial or not. It is not our intention to impose the scheme on anyone who doesn't want to participate, however the scheme will always be open to any business that wants to join at a later date.
A number of commentators have suggested that what Shepton really needs is free parking and I think it is worth looking at what that would mean. Firstly there is no evidence that free parking will actually improve footfall. In 1996 Mendip tried an experiment in Shepton to give free parking for 2 hours in all of the car parks. A footfall survey was conducted prior to the experiment and during the free parking period. Contrary to the belief that footfall would increase if car parking was free, during that experiment footfall actually fell from 17,500 per week to 15,000. So free parking on its own is not a panacea, footfall will only increase if there is a retail offer that people want to use. What was also interesting about the survey in 1996 was a survey of empty retail premises. 14 years ago there was a 25% vacancy rate in Town Street that has now been reduced to 10%. Vacancies have increased in the High Street slightly, but that is mainly due to the 5 shops that were kept empty artificially so that the Turn Back Time project could be completed. When those shops are let, we will actually be in a better position overall than we have been for nearly 15 years. So the stories of doom, gloom and a never ending spiral of decline are not accurate, things are improving gradually, even if there is still an awful lot to do.
The parking refund project actually gives shoppers an incentive to spend their money in the Town Centre, where free parking does not. In a previous blog I also mentioned that free parking has a number of other drawbacks.
Firstly the cost of maintaining the car parks does not go away, and if parking is free, that burden has to be put on the council tax payer, whether they use the car parks or not, whether they own a car or not and that tax hits those that can least afford it harder than most.
Secondly, if parking is free, there would be no money for car park inspectors either, leading to anarchy within the parking regime, with vehicles being left in the most desirable positions all day every day, thus using up the very valuable resource that the town centre relies upon. The comment was made a couple of weeks ago that parking in the Market Place and High Street is abused by people parking all day. The only way to remedy that is to have inspectors carrying out regular patrols, and yes issuing tickets to those who abuse the system. The police do not see parking as a priority issue and only act if there is an obstruction or if the "blue badge" zones are being abused.
If the free parking provision in the town is well managed, there is quite sufficient to cater for all of those people who want to "stop and shop" and just spend a few pounds, the parking refund scheme will incentivise all those who want to spend more time and money in the Town Centre, and the charging regime ensures that the car parks can be effectively managed.
This year no-one will have an excuse not to do their Christmas shopping in Shepton, let’s hope it’s a bumper year for all of our Town Centre traders.