"Businesses could go bust" warns councillor after ‘secret’ plans to axe on-street parking in Kirkby were revealed

The county council have drawn up plans to temporarily suspend four limited waiting parking bays and one disabled parking bay on the southern side of Station Street, between Lime Street and Tennyson Street in Kirkby town centre.

They also plan to convert a section of an existing limited waiting bay on the northern side of Station Street into a disabled parking bay.

This decision has come about in response to the current pandemic, and aims to open up space in the town centre to ‘mitigate the effects of Covid-19’.

The plans state that “the roadspace will be reallocated for pedestrian use to facilitate appropriate social distancing within the town centre.”

However, Ashfield District Councillors have now spoken out against what they call ‘secret’ and ‘ridiculous’ plans, stating that they were not conferred with on the matter.

Councillor Daniel Williamson, who represents Kirkby Town Centre on the district council, believes this decision could even lead to independent businesses in the area ‘going bust’ in an already unprecedented and challenging period for retail.

Councillor Williamson said: “This secret proposal could lead to businesses going bust.

“Many small businesses along Station Road in Kirkby are highly reliant on passing trade to keep their business afloat.

"These are businesses that have struggled immensely throughout the current pandemic, going above and beyond to create Covid-secure areas in which local residents feel safe to shop, eat, work and visit.

“The Ashfield Independents have supported local business affected by the lockdown by rolling out two hour free parking.

"The Conservatives wrote to businesses in Kirkby about their plans to reduce off street parking without even picking up the phone to the council. They’ve already reduced speed limits claiming that it would help social distancing.

"This is another barmy suggestion from West Bridgford-based Tories.”

As part of the work, barriers will be erected to close the four laybys on the southern side of Station Street to vehicles.

Businesses could be impacted by customers not being able to easily stop off and nip into the shops and cafes on Station Street, with one business owner saying the loss of trade could be ‘significant’.

Darren Yeomans, of Scoffers, a sandwich shop on Station Street, said: “Lots of our customers park up, pop inside to grab some food and leave.

"They are parked up for no longer than 10 minutes. These customers are central to our business. Without them we would lose a significant amount of trade.

"We are six months into the pandemic and they decide now to take our parking bay so the pavement will be wider. There aren’t hordes of walkers during the day, it’s not Piccadilly Circus.”

Councillor Rachel Madden, who represents the area impacted on the county council, was also not consulted on the proposed plans, and believes the whole situation has been dealt with ‘appallingly’.

She said: “I was not consulted until businesses were informed, so when I started to receive angry phone calls, I had no idea what businesses were talking about.

"This has been handled appallingly by the county council and I am pleased that we have written to them to robustly oppose these ridiculous plans.”

Councillor Daniel Williamson went on to say that the district council would have opened up discussions around the topic had they been consulted first, but as it stands strongly object to the proposals to remove the parking bays.

He said: “Had Ashfield been engaged by County Hall before this consultation went public, we would have happily worked together to find alternative arrangements which made sense for residents and businesses alike.

"As it is we have written back expressing our strong objection to these measures and are seeking to find alternative arrangements which work for everybody who will be so badly affected by this ludicrous decision, rather than just working for those in West Bridgeford making arbitrary decisions about an area they really don't understand.”

Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, has said that he has been ‘inundated with complaints’ from business owners on Station Street, and will use ‘every power’ he has to guarantee that the parking bay removal will not go ahead.

Mr Anderson said: “I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

"I have been inundated with complaints from Kirkby traders. They do all they can to get shoppers to their business and this is the opposite message they want sending out.

"I have been assured that this is a consultation exercise only and I can personally guarantee it WILL NOT go ahead.

"I will use every power I have to make sure this barmy idea is thrown in the bin.”

However, Nottinghamshire County Council responded to comments from the district council and Ashfield MP, and have stated that the proposals are not ‘fixed’, with feedback on the proposals welcome.

Sally Gill, group manager for planning, said: “We have installed a number of schemes like this in communities where they have been well received and have assisted social distancing and pedestrian movements.

“As traffic flows return to more normal levels we want to listen to the community and seek their views.

"The county council has no fixed view on the proposals for Kirkby in Ashfield.

"We encourage people to feedback through the consultation process ahead of a decision being made.”