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Parking plan is welcomed
Marine Drive
TRADERS and local councillors have welcomed the decision to reject a proposal to start charging for parking in Marine Drive during the winter months.
The decision was taken by Scarborough Council’s cabinet earlier this week and if it had been approved would have meant drivers having to fork out £1 to park there, on days between November and February.
It had sparked fears that businesses in both North and South Bays would be adversely affected because visitors would be put off from visiting the area.
John Senior, the chairman of the South Bay Traders Association, said his members were delighted that common sense had prevailed. “We felt very strongly, particularly in the winter time, any further restrictions were not in the interests of tourism. We will continue discussing with the council on how we can work together.”
The proposal had caused a public outcry after it was revealed in late-2011, and Cllr Subash Sharma, who represents the North Bay ward, handed a 4,241-signature petition against the charges in at the Town Hall earlier this month.
Ron Ford, who owns the Oasis cafe where some of the signatures were collected, said the petition proved very popular with customers.
He added: “Everybody signed it who came into Oasis – there was no forcing them it was just left on the counter. We would have been affected no doubt about it.”
The move was expected to have netted the council £15,000 in extra revenue.
The proposal has been made for the past three years and Cllrs Janet Jefferson and Peter Popple have both opposed it each time.
Cllr Jefferson said there would have been a detrimental effect on the local economy. She added: “We’ve worked exceptionally hard to create a year round economy. Businesses would close. Free parking encourages people to come here. It proves that people can put their point forward and be listened to.”
And Cllr Popple said: “I am extremely pleased. I think they’ve reached the right decision. It would have cost them more to monitor the area and empty the machines.”
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Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
John Senior
Tuesday, February 21, 2012 at 06:02 PMOuch but no! Thankfully, just trying to do my job representing South Bay Traders who are almost all small local family owned businesses struggling to survive! Yours John Senior
A one way ticket to Sheffield please
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 08:29 AMDoes John Senior run the entire town now? He seems to have a finger in every pie and able to overturn the councils decision but no one I know recalls voting for him. Not many locals would want to park on the Marine Drive in winter anway surely? You all seem to think thousands of holday makers will flock to Scarborough in the winter months just becos Council Jefferson has started spouting about this all year round economy nonsense, well if thats so I'd rather the tourists handed their money to the council so it might help to lower my parent's council tax than put it in John Senior's pocket or spend it in the Oasis.
Renshaw Woods
Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:39 AMNo way do I believe that £15.000 would be generated. The government wouldnt allow them to lose such an amount and would insist the income was made up elsewhere. Silly but true.
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