Dear Editor,
As a local dance class owner in Nantwich, I feel compelled to speak out about the serious concerns I have regarding Cheshire East Council’s new car parking charges, which are set to come into effect on Monday 26th May 2025.
These changes – which will see parking charges extended from 8am until 10pm, seven days a week – are likely to have a deeply detrimental impact not only on my own classes at Nantwich Civic Hall, but on many other local businesses that rely on evening footfall.
What was once free parking after 6pm is now being taken away, and I fear that this will discourage many people from attending classes, events, or even simply visiting the town centre in the evenings.
For small, community-based businesses like mine, margins are already tight. We depend on accessibility and affordability to keep people coming through the doors.
The prospect of visitors having to pay for parking late into the evening – on top of rising living costs – could well be the tipping point that causes them to stay away.
I am not alone in these concerns. Across Nantwich and the wider borough, business owners and residents alike are voicing similar worries.
With the new charges also applying on Sundays and including tariff increases, we’re likely to see more people avoiding town centre car parks altogether.
Instead, they may opt for free supermarket parking, out-of-town retail parks, or online shopping – choices that will further erode the viability of our high streets.
There is also the wider community impact to consider.
Displaced parking could clog residential side streets, increasing frustration for locals and creating hazards for emergency services trying to access narrower roads.
The council may argue these changes bring us in line with other areas and help maintain infrastructure, but in my view, they risk inflicting long-term harm on the very communities they are meant to serve.
I urge Cheshire East Council to pause, listen, and reconsider the full scope of these new parking arrangements before they come into force.
Best regards,
Adrian Churm
Dance Instructor, Nantwich Civic Hall
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