A town councillor has vowed to campaign for more car parking spaces in Nantwich town centre.
Cllr David Marren believes the town suffers from a lack of spaces, and says land behind Nantwich Pool has potential to be a new car park.
The site, off Wall Lane, could provide another 150 spaces at a cost of £350,000, says Cllr Marren.
He claims lack of parking spaces is a key cause of drivers parking illegally or unsafely, uncovered by a six-week parking enforcement crackdown in the town.
“It has reinforced a further concern regarding the shortage of car parking spaces, which is bound to be one of the contributory reasons for people parking illegally,” says Cllr Marren (pictured).
“I will work vigorously to press Cheshire East for additional car parking space, which I think could easily be accommodated to the rear of the swimming pool dropping down to the river.
“The site can be accessed from the former garage site on Wall Lane and is within easy walking distance of the town centre.
“Although some open space would be lost, this area is not intensively used for recreation and access to riverside walks can be maintained as part of the design.
“Additional car parking space can be provided without prejudicing any future development of the Snow Hill area.
“This will not be easy to achieve as space for 150 vehicles will cost about £350,000.
“However as I say I am fully aware of the parking issue and will work positively towards trying to alleviate the shortage of spaces in the town.”
Shaun Cafferty, of the Nantwich Retail Partnership, said the issue of parking spaces has been a “hot topic” for a long while.
“Availability of parking is a bigger issue than parking charges, though many retailers reported that the free after 3pm experiment had improved trade in the town,” said Shaun, who runs Martin&Co on Hospital Street.
“There seems to be political consensus about the need for more parking, it’s just a question of how we achieve this and make Nantwich an easier place for visitors and shoppers to visit, especially at peak periods.
“It’s also important that businesses that work in the town centre feel encouraged to stay.
“In other towns, service businesses like legal, insurance and accounting firms have relocated to out of town sites where access and parking for staff and clients is easier.
“We want to keep these businesses in the town itself because their staff help keep the retail economy moving during the week, buying lunch, snacks, papers, gifts and food for their evening meal.
“Lots of the town’s employees park on the unofficial car park at the old gasworks site off Welsh Row which is earmarked for development at some stage, so it’s a very real issue.”
Mr Cafferty is also director of South Cheshire Chamber and has met with Cheshire East officers and councillors to discuss parking solutions.
If they didn,t build so many houses maybe they would need less parking spaces,there’s not a lot worth buying in Nantwich anyway unless you want a cup of coffee.Mind you they seem to be able to find land to build yet more houses on without spending money on the infrastructure that goes with it.Hardly surprising Nantwich is becoming a mess.Councillors I suspect look at house numbers multiplied by council tax rates and see lots of pounds with very little outlay to go with it.
Surely, if we need more spaces (which we do) and we want to keep as much green space as possible (which we do) add a tasteful 2/3 floor multi-story car park.
Also, to prevent illegal parking, do not charge car park fees!!
Does Nantwich really need more car park spaces? I never have a problem getting parked in Nantwich. Yes there can be queues in the car parks that are the absolute closest to the town centre, but creating more car parks further out won’t solve that because some people it seems prefer to queue than walk. If you are willing to walk for 5 minutes, there are plenty of places to park.
Incredible! A Haslington Ward Councillor, resident of Shavington campaigns vigourously to tarmac over greenspace and riverside. Whilst his best mate Cllr Jones allows thousands of houses to be built in the small town.
I suspect residents of Nantwich are not being consulted, considered, represented.
It’s a floodplain. Access to the river for users and walkers, including fisherman will be hindered and ruined. Nantwich is a small place, more concrete is not necessary. A transport system that does not resemble communist Eastern Europe would help. This proposal is ill thought out and clearly a vote totter.
If the Councillors/Planners would like ask the people who live in the area first before planning to build, they would learn that all the land at the rear of Wall Lane/Manor Road/ Manor Road North is prone to flooding. If the plans for this Car park are passed, I do hope the proper Wildlife Surveys will be carried out.
!!!! LEAVE THE RIVER ALONE !!!!
If the counsellors in the town stopped building unnecessary house’s on every inch of green land in the town there wouldn’t be a parking problem in the first place. If the concern over parking is that great then build an extension on the existing car park at Nantwich towns football ground instead of putting even more houses across there. Greedy PIGS
Reply to ‘Anon’: Since when have developers given a damn about maintaining ecological connectivity?!!!!
Maybe if councillors STOPPED giving planning permission to flood the Nantwich area with unnecessary new housing and instead provided a better public transport system that linked he outlying rural areas then the requirement for extra parking would not be needed!
Isn’t there an under used football ground car park not available some days? It would be ideal for all the shop/office workers to use, thereby freeing up space for shoppers closer to stores.
Has it not crossed the Councillors mind that the reason it’s not built on already is because it might be prudent NOT to build on the floodplain…maintain ecological connectivity, and space for the river to move and flood?!
A car park isn’t going to affect the flood plain. It will get flooded when the river is high sure, but the occasional flood isn’t going to damage a car park. Look at Frankwell in Shrewsbury – that seems to work OK.