Newark traders raise concerns over parking enforcement

BUSINESSES in Newark are fearing that over-zealous parking enforcement officers will drive customers away.

Many town centre traders have special dispensation to allow vehicles to load and unload deliveries outside their stores for a brief time, which have been in place for years, but they fear officers are not using enough common sense to allow them enough time for deliveries before they are given tickets.

Davison's Bakery has been on Appletongate for 5½ years, with a dispensation that allows them to park outside the store for ten minutes, an arrangement they have had for years without any problems.

But now the bakery has been given tickets by parking enforcement officers, and they have had to start parking their vehicles on a nearby street instead, if there is space.

Mrs Rebecca Davison, who owns the bakery with her husband, Richard, said: "We work hard to try and keep our small independent business going and these people are now making life extremely difficult for us.

"We are struggling to continue our delivery service during the day because we are having to park the van so far away from the shop, and we have had to turn down some lunchtime orders because we can't load the van as it's parked so far away at times."

"I am at an absolute loss as to why they have suddenly decided to start targeting us but it’s incidents like this that are driving small businesses into the ground and out of town.

"This is now becoming extremely stressful and I’m worried it is putting our customers off coming to the shop."

Robert Doncaster, of long-standing family butchers Doncaster butchers, on Portland Street, have also been struggling with seemingly over-zealous parking wardens.

He said on Saturday, a customer park outside to collect a 20kg meat order for a barbecue, which was too heavy to carry down the street, and ended up with a parking fine.

Mr Doncaster said: "We know they have a job to do and we respect that, but if someone is picking up a large order, they should be allowed to load it into their car and not have to carry it down the street.

"We go to meetings with councillors and they don't listen to us. They just think we are a bunch of moaning shopkeepers."

K & H Sports, Cartergate, is also in the process of appealing a parking fine received while unloading a delivery.

Restrictions don't allow loading and unloading on the street from 10am to 4pm, but sales assistant Jo Goldsbury received a ticket while unloading a delivery at 8.20pm, which she says took five minutes while the boxes were carried up to the store room on the second floor of the premises.

Mrs Goldsbury said: "We have been told that unless you can show that you are actually doing a delivery you will be fined, so we have either got to have someone wait with the vehicle or else leave the boot open ­— and if we leave the boot open, things will be stolen.

A Newark and Sherwood District Council spokesman said: “Parking restrictions are set by Nottinghamshire County Council and enforced by traffic wardens working on behalf of the district council.

"It is in all of our best interests to ensure that the town thrives and we would like to invite any local businesses having issues with parking dispensations to contact our parking services team.

"We can offer on-street parking dispensations to local businesses where there is a requirement to park in a restricted area (such as residents parking schemes, loading bays and single yellow lines) to carry out work activities.”

Mrs Davison said she had since been contacted by the district council, offering to revise the parking dispensation to allow a slightly longer waiting time, and to offer a space in a contract carpark nearby they could rent for £600 a year.

Mr Doncaster also confirmed that he had been in contact with district councillor Mr Keith Girling, who expressed sympathy and concern for the situation.