CONCERNS over the impact of parking charges in Kingswood centre are continuing.
Last month the Voice reported a petition that had been started by traders, calling on South Gloucestershire Council to think again. As this month’s edition went to print, the petition had 1,137 signatures.
In early August, Mark’s Mobile Butcher’s announced it was leaving its shop in the Indoor Market because of the impact of the fees, which were introduced in May.
On its Facebook page, the business posted: “Since the council introduced parking charges, Kingswood has become like a ghost town.
“Unfortunately, this has had a serious impact on our business – our takings have been cut in half over the past few weeks – making it unsustainable to continue trading there.”
The charges begin at 70p for an hour, up to £5 for more than six hours, although there are a few free 30-minute spaces.
A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council, said: “We are sorry to learn that one of the traders from the indoor market on Kingswood High Street has decided to leave and wish them well for the future.
“There has been significant investment and improvement work into the High Street and Kings Chase over the past months, with more to come in the near future, and occupancy levels for the retail units remains high with the centre currently fully let.
“The impact of the new parking scheme will take some time to assess, and we will be monitoring it over the coming months and comparing it against the baseline that we have already taken.
“We have had to take this step to help us meet the budgetary challenges we are faced with to support all of our local communities.”