A Burnham-On-Sea resident has voiced her concerns to town councillors this week over a proposed increase in parking charges, while there have also been calls for 30 minutes of free parking for shoppers.
Speaking at Monday’s Town Council meeting, Sylvia Young said she was shocked at the proposed hike in parking charges by Sedgemoor District Council.
She said it will lead to fewer visitors in Burnham’s town centre shops while the possibility of charges for disabled drivers and new costs at Apex Park is wrong, she says.
However, Cllr Janet Keen said there were reasons for the rises and referred Mrs Young to a recent district council meeting, first reported here on Burnham-On-Sea.com.
Cllr Keen said: “It was decided for the time being there would be no charges at Apex Park. The rationale for standardising parking charges is there is a wide discrepancy between different places and different times. And as for the proposals for disabled parking there are precedents in other parts of Somerset for this.”
Cllr Louise Parkin went on to support traders at Burnham Chamber of Trade’s recent open business meeting where the first half hour’s parking is free for shoppers.
She said: “It will encourage shoppers to pop in and get a few bits and pieces and not to go to Tesco and Asda for a ‘one-stop shop’. The car parking charges just encourage people to go to the big supermarkets.”
