Keep current free car parking in Ormskirk Town Centre to help businesses
Parking in Ormskirk Town Centre should remain free of charge until at least the autumn to help businesses back onto their feet say Council Independents, Our West Lancashire.
OWL Chairman, Cllr Adrian Owens wrote to the Council Leader and Chief Officer requesting this help in the middle of May and is now calling on the council to make its position clear. Car park charges were suspended in March but the council has spoken about re-introducing them, a move opposed by OWL.
Cllr Owens said, “The council has worked very well to get much needed financial support out to businesses affected by the lockdown. Now, as more businesses re-open we need to give their trading efforts a helping hand and encourage concerned shoppers to support our local businesses. OWL were pleased to secure a deep clean of Ormskirk town centre which started on the 1st June, but more needs to be done to encourage a gradual return to our market town. Car parking needs to remain free until the autumn and then be reviewed again.”
“Car parking charges were first introduced in Ormskirk to regulate demand and make sure that there were always available spaces. That is simply not the problem we face this summer. Our car parks are virtually empty. There are enough concerns for local people visiting shops at the moment without car park charges. I hope the Council will respond positively to the request the Our West Lancashire councillors have made.”
