Conservative councillors have given their backing to calls for two hours’ free parking to be introduced at Bath’s Royal Victoria Park.
In addition to the two hours’ free parking, Conservatives have also called for all parking spaces at the park to be limited to a four-hour stay, rather than the present two-hour maximum stay in force throughout most of the park.
The calls come following the launch of an online petition urging the Liberal Democrat-run Council to rethink the new parking charges, which were introduced in June.
Businesses in and around the park have reported a drop in trade since the new parking restrictions were put in place, with concerns that people are being deterred from visiting the park.
The petition can be signed online at http://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/mgEPetitionListDisplay.aspx
Conservative Transport spokesman Cllr Anthony Clarke (Cons, Lansdown), said: “At the moment the new parking restrictions and charges at Victoria Park are benefitting no one and should be reviewed as a matter of urgency.
“Businesses are reporting a drop in trade, the park has been emptier than usual for the time of year, and nearby residents are being inconvenienced.
“We don’t want to go back to a free-for-all of unlimited parking at Victoria Park, but these draconian measures introduced by the Council are clearly not the right answer. The Lib Dems need to listen to local concerns and back down on this.
“The whole issue can be easily resolved by simply extending the maximum stay at the park to four hours instead of two, and trialling two hours’ free parking to encourage more people back to the park.”
