Whitchurch Town Council removed the ‘new’ town centre cycle parking earlier this year as it was deemed to restrict access to some businesses – amongst the reasons it was claimed that it prevented them using the pavements to park on for loading/unloading.
The result is as expected – those visiting town by cycle are again using shop windows, bollards, street signs and drainpipes to lean their cycles against.
This can justifiably upset some people.
Survey
The Town Council ran a survey to seek where parking was required with a number of respondees wanting parking in the town centre close to where they were visiting. However Councillors decided cycle parking should go elsewhere with the racks being moved to locations away from the town centre – in locations totally useless for using the shops or businesses.
But cycling is good for trade
There are numerous studies that have shown provision of such facilities increases trade and they have made themselves into planning policies including those adopted by National Government, County and Borough Councils. Unfortunately Whitchurch lags behind and the town centre with its car congested roads along with pavement parking is seen by some as making it unattractive to visit.
See:
PARKING VALUE and ECONOMICS
Missing the point
Some believe that painting some of the buildings, or smartening the town street furniture with black and gold paint will revitalise the centre into a tourist hotspot. These are in themselves admirable aims but they will not address one of the main underlying blights – that too many unnecessary motor journeys clog the town with motor traffic, increase dangers, raise air pollution, damage the infrastructure and create an unpleasant experience.
At least giving some support to other means of travel would help as has been proven in other localities.
Meanwhile the Urban Cycling group has produced the following image.
It seems to be very pertinent to the situation in Whitchurch in order to support trade and business owners.
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