Traders fearful of suburb's parking permit plan

Andrea Downing fears the restrictions could see customer numbers drop

Business owners and residents in a suburb in Nottingham have expressed concern that plans to introduce parking permits could have a negative impact on the local high street.

Nottingham City Council has launched a consultation on introducing a resident parking scheme and double yellow lines on a number of streets in Sherwood.

The council said parking in the area was a "longstanding issue", and it was trying find a solution that worked for everyone.

However traders say they are fearful introducing tighter restrictions could affect footfall.

'Businesses will suffer'

Under the plans, restrictions will be in place between 08:00 and 18:00 from Monday to Saturday on nearly 20 roads, including Mansfield Street, Mapperley Street, Winchester Drive and Sherwood Avenue.

The consultation launched on 12 November and is due to run until 9 December.

Andrea Downing, who runs Andrea's Treasures in Mansfield Road, said there was already a lack of parking in the area and a parking permit scheme could deter people from visiting the high street.

"We know a lot of our shoppers come by car and if they can't find anywhere to park, businesses will suffer," she said.

"The community and high street is such an important part of Sherwood - it's creative and great for the city.

"We do understand that it is frustrating for residents when they can't park nearby.

"However, the last thing we want to see is more empty stores on our streets."

Simon Harris is worried permits could leave church-goers unable to attend services

Just behind the high street is the Nottingham Spiritualist Church on Hall Street, where Simon Harris is the chair of trustees and president.

"Permits would be a complete disaster for us - another nail in the coffin," he said.

"We get around 40 people per service and most of them come by car, and like many other places, we have no designated car park. Lots of our members won't be able to come."

Mr Harris said some of his members also used the space as a warm hub in the winter months, which would be at risk if people were unable to park nearby.

"This is a place where people can come, and have a hot drink and a chat when it's freezing outside," he said.

"If less people attend our services, we won't be able to continue to open the space up as a warm hub. Those people will miss out."

Residents said car parks in Sherwood were often at full capacity

In contrast, Mansfield Street resident Paul Wilkinson said the scheme could help him find a space near his house.

"Sometimes, I can't even park on my own street. People park on residential streets all day and nothing is done about it," he said.

He believes the council also needs to look at how it manages car parks in Sherwood.

"The car parks are always at full capacity. Lots of people park in them for free all day and catch the bus into town," he said. "That needs to stop.

"The scheme would be more successful if we had more car parks, and the existing ones were monitored better. People need to park so they can access the high street.

"You don't want businesses to take the hit. If people can't park here easily, it could have an impact on their trade."

The city council said parking in the area was an issue that had generated "a lot of complaints" from residents struggling to park outside their properties.

It said: "No decisions have been taken yet as the consultation has just recently opened. All responses will be taken into account before anything is decided."