Retailers plead for free parking to save trade

May 30 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

RETAILERS are lobbying the city council to make car parking free after 3pm to win back shoppers who are deserting Chester in their thousands.

In return for the concession, city centre stores are considering a stay open late policy.

Chester City Management (CCM) says independent stores and big stores like M&S, Debenhams, Boots, Tesco and Next report poor trading after mid afternoon.

There are fears the situation could get worse following this week’s opening of Grosvenor’s Liverpool One, Europe’s largest shopping mall. M&S has hinted it may reduce the size of its store if the decline continues.

Chester City Council’s Tory administration is considering proposals for a trial run of the “Free after Three” initiative at its car parks.

Stephen Wundke, of CCM, told traders at a meeting this week: “Car parking is the hottest topic. There are no two ways about it. You go on the streets and it’s the one thing everybody talks about.

Chester M&S store manager Neil Parnell said his outlet was in the top 10 biggest branches but slipping down the internal league table.

He said: “I could never see a time when we would consider pulling out of Chester but we may have to reconsider the size of the store in the city centre if customers don’t come back.”

Mr Parnell welcomed the “Free after Three” venture and accepts city stores need to play their part by working on a plan to extend late night opening.

Independent trader Fiona Lewis, of Baby Acorns, in Watergate Street, which opened three years ago, said: “We are so quiet after 3pm. We do a lot of early and lunchtime trade but by mid afternoon it tails off.”

She added: “We would definitely open late if the customers were coming in.”

Bob Clough-Parker, chairman of Chester Business Club, said: “Events have conspired to present Chester with a huge challenge.

“The local economy, especially in the crucial retail sector, was already experiencing difficulties – from out-of-town developments as well as from Chester’s traditional competitor towns on both sides of the English-Welsh border – before the ‘credit crunch’ arrived.”

Cllr Stuart Parker, executive member for development, said of the “Free after Three” idea: “The proposals have been put forward and are among a number of ventures we are looking at.”