Butchers closing outlet 'due to parking fees'

Mark's Mobile Butchers in Kingswood will stop trading on Saturday 2 August

The owners of a butchers say it is going to close one of its shops as parking charges recently introduced in the area have turned it into a "ghost town" meaning the business is no longer viable.

Mark's Mobile Butchers has a shop inside Kingswood Indoor Market in east Bristol, but says Saturday 2 August will be its last day of trading.

In a post on social media the company says parking charges have seen its takings "cut in half".

South Gloucestershire Council, which introduced the charges, said they are needed to "meet the budgetary challenges" it faces.

In a post on its Facebook page Mark's Mobile Butchers says it is closing its Kingswood shop "with great sadness".

"Since the council introduced parking charges, Kingswood has become like a ghost town," the post reads.

"Unfortunately, this has had a serious impact on our business - our takings have been cut in half over the past few weeks - making it unsustainable to continue trading there."

The business is not disappearing completely though, with the post adding the butchers will still be available at The Concorde Pub in Stockwood on Wednesdays and at Yate Shopping Centre on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

South Gloucestershire Council says the parking charges are necessary to fill a gap in its finances.

South Gloucestershire Council introduced charges for its car parks on 19 May, with them in force from 08:00 to 18:00, Monday to Saturday.

Drivers now pay 70p for the first hour in short-stay car parks, rising to £5 for up to four hours.

The fee for parking in long-stay car-parks ranges from £3 for the first four hours, up to £5 for six hours.

The move has been unpopular with some businesses from the beginning, with many on Kingswood's High Street writing an open letter to the council in May, asking for a rethink.

Charges 'are inevitable'

Kate Carter manages the Market Café Longue and indoor market on Regent's Street and was a contributor to the letter.

She told BBC Radio Bristol that she was "so despondent" reading messages from the public who do not want to visit Kingswood with the changes in place.

However, one local resident said he is not bothered by the charges.

"Everywhere else you go in the country you end up paying for parking in towns and villages so it's inevitable," he said.

"People have just got to put up with it."

A spokesperson for South Gloucestershire Council, said: "We are sorry to learn that one of the traders from the indoor market on Kingswood High Street has decided to leave and wish them well for the future.

"There has been significant investment and improvement work into the High Street and Kings Chase over the past months, with more to come in the near future, and occupancy levels for the retail units remains high with the centre currently fully let.

"The impact of the new parking scheme will take some time to assess, and we will be monitoring it over the coming months and comparing it against the baseline that we have already taken.

"We have had to take this step to help us meet the budgetary challenges we are faced with to support all of our local communities, including through regeneration work, but also supporting those in the community who need us the most."