Have I awoken from a Covid19 induced bad dream on what is a delayed April 1? “The Town Council vote to do away with free car parking spaces on both sides of the High Street” surely has to be a badly timed joke?? But no, the Mayor’s letter to your on-line publication suggests the Town Council is for real. How out of touch with reality and the people of this Town are our Councillors?
The side-of-the-High-Street car parking spaces serve a very real purpose. The fact that free actually means “free for 30 minutes only” suggests the people who are parking their cars in those spaces are in town for a reason that does not require them to find a longer term parking space in the centre of the High Street or in one of the other car parks. That reason is what I would call the “pop-in economy”. In other words I will just pop-in to town to:
- Buy some stamps in W H Smith
- Pick up a birthday card from Maythers
- Grab a sandwich and a sausage roll from Greggs
- Get some money from the cash point
- Drop off a parcel at the Post Office
- Buy some excellent food from Cook
- Pick up a take away coffee from The Food Gallery
- Collect a prescription from Boots
- Drop off some second hand clothes at one of the Charity Shops
- Post a letter in the late collection post box outside One Stop
Right now, none of these pop-in actions require a great deal of thought, planning, time or cost. The side of the High Street parking spaces facilitate these activities; these tasks can all be accomplished in a very short space of time. But when our Councillors have finished widening the High Street every one of these activities will need more time, more thought and importantly money – a payment to Wiltshire Council for a one hour parking space that is required for no more than 30 minutes. How the bureaucrats at Wiltshire Council must be chuckling with incredulity. The Town Council will achieve in one measure what W.C. has been trying to do for ages – fleece the residents of Marlborough.
Councillors, you will kill the pop-in economy and you will kill the High Street. For many, the prospect of waking in to Marlborough is simply impractical; not all of us have time to walk to town to do any of the simple tasks above and for many of our more elderly neighbours walking to town is simply not an option. That short stay car parking space can be a lifeline to many more than you can even contemplate.
Councillor Cooper’s letter emphasises that the Town Council has met with “some” in the hospitality sector who petitioned for this retrograde step. I suggest Councillor Cooper and his colleagues meet with other businesses in the town and local residents, for whom this move is frankly ridiculous, as the reaction in your letters column suggests. If the Mayor thinks closing down car parking spaces makes the town “Open For Business” as his new (and totally unnecessary) signs will suggest, perhaps he should append the signs with the more honest message “Unless you have a car”.
Simon Bell’s excellent letter highlights the fact that sitting on the (extended) pavement drinking a coffee in one of the most polluted streets in Marlborough may not be everyone’s idea of café culture, not to mention the fact that for 6 months of the year it is either too cold or too wet in any case. If ever there was a case of a decision disadvantaging the many for the benefit of the few, this is it.
The good people of Marlborough don’t need widened pavements to encourage them to follow social distancing guidelines. We are equipped with enough common sense and the occasional face mask that have served us well so far. Councillors, think again, for the prosperity of your town.
Yours,
Peter May
Marlborough
Dan’s goes al fresco
