ONLINE shopping, parking problems, out-of-town shopping centres and rows of derelict shops are destroying Chester’s high street, say retailers.

With just 10 days left to Christmas for shoppers to battle the crowds, Chester shop owners have revealed they are suffering a disappointing festive season.

And with self-styled ‘queen of shops’ Mary Portas unveiling a 28-point plan to save Britain’s ‘outdated’ and ‘dying’ high streets this week, shop owners and shoppers have welcomed her plans and are calling for free car parking, and special events to help boost Chester’s shops.

She praises Chester’s Free After Three parking scheme within her review, heralding it as ‘doing things differently’ to allow the high street to go ‘head-to-head’ with out-of- town outlets, but city centre traders are insisting it is not enough.

Ann Faulkner, who runs The Cheese Shop in Northgate Street, said business has been a lot quieter than last year.

“This is a major time for small businesses to make money, which is very important because people are being much more careful with their money,” she said.

“Obviously places like Cheshire Oaks do have an effect on the high street. People go there and can park easily and for free and pick up everything at once.”

She also felt too many vacant stores were putting off visitors and said: “Temporary shops for Christmas will not solve the problem long term, but a shop with something in it is better than an empty shop which makes the area look depleted.”

A spokeswoman for the Grosvenor Shopping Centre welcomed the idea of year round later opening hours across the city, but said the majority of retailers would need to get on board for it to have an impact.

She said: “It needs to be the vast majority of retailers both in the Grosvenor Shopping Centre and on the high street taking part for it to be successful.

Shoppers posted on the Chronicle’s Facebook page that they were staying away from the city centre shops due to parking problems and the city not being child- friendly.

Helen and Stuart Bright said they were doing all their food and Christmas shopping online rather than hitting the crowded high streets.

English Tuition in Chester said: “I did all of mine online because parking is such a nightmare in Chester and not child-friendly.”

But councillors and members of the city management team dismissed hopes of extra free parking, saying the Free After Three scheme already brought people into the centre, and it would cost residents too much to subsidise any extra free hours.

Chester city manager Stephen Wundke admitted there had been a drop in spending as shoppers tried to save during the recession, but felt Chester was still doing well compared to other high streets in the North West.

“We have already embraced the ideas set forward by Mary Portas and have been doing them for some time, cleaning up the city, making it safer and running events to attract people to the centre,” he said.

“We currently have 8% of units vacant, historically we run at a 6% vacancy rate.

“That is still better in context with the national rate of 14%.”