Full text of Newport Business Association letter on parking

It pleads the case for fairer parking charges in the county town and proposes a four-month trial of its proposals through the autumn.

Dear all,

Context

Newport traders recognise the generic changes and challenges that towns face and the need for strategic reshaping around future lifestyles and uses.

Traders also recognise the difficult budgetary scenarios facing the council and the historic contribution of parking revenue and wish to work with the council to find an optimum balance.

However, parking revenue expectations based on council budget need rather than value for money is no longer realistic or reconcilable with sustainability.

Current charges

Street Parking Car Parks – short stay

Up to 30mins £1.00 Up to 30mins £1.10

30-60mins £2.00 30-60 mins £1.70

1-3 hours £4.00 1-2 hours £3.40

2-3 hours £5.10

Parking charges are not only impeding business and impacting potential trade but actively driving businesses which are likely to retain physical local premises and their customers out of the town centre. This is still playing out with further decline in occupancy expected.

It is between 40% - 60% more expensive to park in Newport town than in Central Southampton Westquay Car Park! Further proposed increases for this year are simply untenable and in no way compatible with the sustainability of our County town.

Parking cost and convenience is cited daily to businesses as a reason for not visiting the town or for visiting less frequently and only when essential. Changes hastened by the pandemic have impacted the offer and experience of the town and therefore this further changes the perceived value of parking to visitors.

Whilst a smaller centre is likely, regeneration and a vibrant commercial and community centre is possible and important for the County town of the Isle of Wight.

Business will play its part and is positive that given a reasonable chance the town, as a central part of an Island economy, can thrive, attract occupancy, and contribute to the town wellbeing.

The contribution of local town centre business is large for local and national revenue generation, important for jobs, especially local, flexible and starter roles and for local business opportunities – it is not adequately weighted against the ‘Cash Cow’ of parking due to the structure of local government finances.

As is widely recognised, Newport town centre is in a desperate and worsening state. Radical action is needed, and right now. This Autumn, and running up to Christmas, will be a determining time for many Newport businesses as government support and the furlough scheme ends. Newport needs every support possible.

NBA proposal

Charges must be clear and simple and represent reasonable value for the experience rather than be a major barrier to visiting town.

Levels are intended to encourage visitors to come and to stay longer and would encourage use of unused capacity in our main car parks - to some extent off setting reduced revenue and building back sustainably.

The proposal is a trial for 4 months (September 1st to December 31st).

On street parking areas

Impulse, convenience and small purchase trips are hugely important, pull in free street parking is essential and trade is easily lost if it is much easier and cheaper to drive on to out of town locations.

• 30 minutes free

• £1 per 30 mins thereafter

• Maximum stay 2 hours

Car parks – all main IWC car parks

• First 60 minutes free

• £1 per hour thereafter

All car parks to be designated as long stay.

Expected impact of proposal and measurement:

• Increased footfall in town centre – measured by digital footfall measurement software and retailer feedback.

• Supports other initiatives to generate Newport town centre trading activity - eg. Open Air In The Square.

• Increased dwell time in town centre. Evidence from other town centres eg. Darlington, where there is a free parking offer that leads to people opting to pay for a longer stay and has generated more car park occupancy and additional payments.

• High on street parking rate (after initial free 30 mins) will drive people to park in main car parks for long stay. Most car park revenues are retained, despite free parking offer, as people pay to stay longer.

• Impact on parking revenue, inevitably some loss with some offset from growing use of the town and car parks.

We also suggest exploring the advantages of a £5 all day parking ticket.

We are urging all parties to consider and look to support the proposal, which we feel is balanced in restoring our County town to a healthy centre of the Island, viable for business and retaining a level of income to the local authority. The outstanding support from over 100 Newport businesses and growing received so far is listed below.

Your faithfully

John McLaughlin, Chair, Newport Business Association

Newport-based businesses supporting NBA proposal

Business name

1 Holyrood

AAA Records

Adrienne Roath

Ape Vapes

Bernards Shoes

Blue Door Café

Andrew Ross Hair

Arnold Heal Ltd

Arty Crafty Party

Available Light

AW Developments

Barbers Cube

Barrhead Travel

Beautify & Just You

Bijou

Caffe Isola

Central Collectable

Chips

Chloe’s Nails and Beauty

Cloud 9

Coastal Mobility

Comicoffee

Computer Plus

Cornerstop Café

Couture

Crockshop & Ralphs

Dabell Flooring

Delivering Sales Excellence

Dominos

Easyweigh

Ellis Hair Studio

ERMC Ltd

Essentially Wight

Event Greetings

Farmhouse Fayre

Farnsworths

Fields Menswear

Fine & Country

Forget Me Not

French Franks

God’s Providence

Hair By Chelsea

Hair Leaders

Helerslea Fabrics

Heroes

Hunnyhill Aquatics

Hose Rhodes Dickson

Island Hire Centre

Isle of Wight Bikes

Isle of Wight Traders

Leather & Suede

Live wire

Love Coffee

Love Running

Master of Disguise

Metier Ingenuity

Minifigure Montage

Nail & Beauty

New Rembrandt Gallery

Newport Alehouse

Newport Fried Chicken

Noodle Pot

O’hanlon & Ray

Oggies

Peaches

Pets With Hart

Prince of Wales

Purple Dreams

Ralph’s Healthfood Shop

Readers Interiors

Retreat Café

Richmonds Bakery

Sheer Pink

Sight for Wight

Silverscreen Autographs

Skin Trade

Stotesburys

St Pizza

Steampunk Vape-shop

Subway

Sweet Charlies

Take Two

Tech Store

The Entertainer

The Little Nook

The Works

Theodosia

Tile Superstore

TM Barber

TM Taylor & Sons

Toto

Town Choice

Tri First

Visual Impact Ladies Wear

Visual Impact Menswear

W Hurst & Son (IW) Ltd

Walled Garden

Waterstones

Watson Bull & Porter

Wheatsheaf & Charter House

Where Beauty Begins

WH Hursts

Wight Mountain

Wight Opal

With A Difference

WW Woodford Butchers