Traders express anger over Christmas parking plan

Shopkeeper Robin Burkhardt is predicting a bleak new year for traders in Dover without council help before Christmas

Shopkeepers have criticised a council's plan not to allow free parking at weekends in the run up to Christmas.

Instead Dover District Council (DDC) will stop charging in its car parks in Dover, Deal and Sandwich from 15:00 GMT on Mondays to Fridays throughout December.

But traders believe without allowing free parking at weekends, as the council did in 2022, the idea will do little to attract shoppers.

The council said it brought in the scheme after consultation with businesses.

Robin Burkhardt, the owner of the Old Curiosity Shop in Dover, said: “No-one goes shopping at three o clock in the afternoon Monday to Friday.

“If we don't have any real help this Christmas there's going to be a lot of small businesses that won't be open in January.

"In my opinion it's just pure PR."

Dave Scudder says he closes early on weekdays because of lack of customers in Sandwich

In Sandwich No Name Shop Deli owner Dave Scudder said the concession would not help as he closes at 16:00 GMT because the town is "like a Ghost town".

He said: “The weekends are very, very important to us. There’s definitely more people in town at weekends, more people visiting”.

DDC cabinet member for community Charlotte Zosseder said the authority had been reacting to requests from the business community.

"This is something we've done in response to requests from chambers of commerce and several local businesses" she said.

"The complaints of the last few years is that free Saturday parking enables people to park for free to work, so it's not actually bringing in any extra revenue.

"As a working mum it's quite nice to not have to shop on a Saturday. I'd love to be able to pick my son up from school, go into town and have a hot chocolate, do a bit of mooching for a couple of hours."