PROPOSALS to introduce parking charges in Middlewich have sparked concerns.

Congleton Borough Council raised the spectre of parking fees for Middlewich town centre as a new revenue earner at a budget crisis consultation meeting at Middlewich Civic Hall.

Councillors stressed the importance of making money and cutting costs to avoid a potential £1.6m deficit in 2005-6.

But town centre manager Dave Thompson told the Chronicle he strongly opposed the proposals.

He said: 'This idea can only have a negative effect on retail across the town. Many shops are struggling as it is - and if parking a car in the town is to cost money, it will be even harder to attract visitors to shop here.

'It would be easier to accept if the charges were to help pay for new car parking spaces in the town, but simply introducing charges to help pay off the borough council's debts, while offering no improvements to the current parking situation, will be strongly opposed by shops and businesses.'

His view was supported by many town centre shop owners.

Mary Warburton, manager of Bargain Booze in Wheelock Street, said: 'It would be likely to have a big negative effect on our business.

'A lot of our sales are made to people who park up to buy beer on their way home from work. If you start charging them to park, a lot of them won't stop.'

Brian Probert, of butchers Hudson and Probert, said: 'There is a problem with parking in the town centre and maybe this would do something to combat that, but it would certainly make it harder for people to shop here and, as a result, they might choose to go elsewhere.'

Mike Hunter of the CW10 residents group was sceptical the plan would even deliver the council the money it needs.

He said: 'Schemes such as this might work in Macclesfield, but that is because Macclesfield and other towns have true destination retail outlets.

'At the moment, that's not true of Middlewich and the danger is that people will just stop shopping here.'

Congleton's executive member for resources Alison Roylance-White moved to reduce retailers' fears.

She said: 'This suggestion has not been worked up even as far as costing Middlewich parking. We will be careful to look at other similar-sized towns when we consider charges.

'One possibility I'd be keen to look at is a system similar to Lancaster, whereby people could park on Wheelock Street for half-an-hour for free, only being charged for longer stays.

'That way, we would also be able to reduce congestion problems, as there'd be 20-25 short-stay cars parked each day, rather than the situation we have now where people park all day while they work in the town centre.'