Parking charge rise vote sparks anger among Old Town shops

The changes were agreed by Swindon Borough Council during a full council vote on Thursday evening.

Interviews with business owners:

Under the new structure, drivers will pay £1.70 for the first hour, up from 90p currently, £3 for two hours, up from £1.20 and a new four-hour maximum stay in most Old Town car parks.

The council says the move will align prices with the town centre and encourage longer stays. However, business owners argue it risks deterring short and repeat visits.

Charlotte, who runs a flower shop on Devizes Road, believes browsing culture will suffer.

“I think it will stop people wanting to come up to Old Town to just pop in and browse,” she said. “This is why people shop online, you can get free delivery. You haven’t got to pay for parking. It’s going to kill off people coming to browse.”

She said the increase in the two-hour rate is particularly worrying.

“I think it’s going to kill the trade in Old Town and it’s going to end up as bad as Swindon town centre,” she added.

Rachel, from Wood Street Studios, said customers attending longer appointments will feel the impact.

“Some of them come in for two or four-hour appointments, so their parking bill is almost going to double,” she said. “It adds onto their bill at the end of it.”

She also raised concerns for elderly clients affected by the four-hour cap.

“I have a lot of elderly clients. They’re not going to like parking further away and walking in. Or they’ll try to get everything done within four hours. Either way, it affects us.”

Louise, from Gustoso’s café, described the rise as significant.

“That’s a big jump,” she said. “We’re struggling as it is up here, not enough parking spaces, and then to increase it like that, I think it’s crazy.”

At Niall’s Barbershop, Niall questioned how the consultation was handled.

“No one’s been round from Labour about the parking charges, there’s been no consultation,” he said. “It’s just another reason to put people off coming into Old Town.”

When asked about the council’s position that Old Town parking has historically been cheaper than the town centre, he said affordability should come first.

“Just make it affordable for people to come in and support local businesses,” he said. “You need to kickstart people coming in and spending money locally.”

He added: “If my prices go up because of wider factors, and you add parking on top, it soon adds up.”

Nick Smith, owner of Ballula’s on Wood Street, said customers visit the area to spend time.

“People come into Old Town to shop and relax, have a coffee, have something to eat,” he said. “They don’t want to rush it. They don’t want to be capped by time and pay ridiculous prices for parking.”

He believes the four-hour cap could discourage longer visits.

“We want people to come and enjoy Old Town and not worry about how much it’s going to cost them to park,” he said.

James McDonald, manager of Deacon’s Jewellery and Vice Chair of the Old Town Business Association, said the cap may create staffing issues.

“Some of our staff will have to leave the job they’re at to move their car or pay more,” he said. “That’s not very good.”

He also questioned the difference between daytime and overnight pricing.

“I don’t understand why during the day you pay more per hour, but overnight it’s £3.50 for 12 hours,” he said. “I think it’s a bit unfair.”

Holly, manager at Anytime Fitness in Old Town, said regular gym users could face significant extra costs.

“Our members come three or four times a week,” she said. “That’s about £23 extra a month in parking. That’s almost the same as the membership here. It’s absolutely ridiculous.”

She warned the change may deter potential members.

“We’re trying to build up numbers and this will massively turn people off,” she said.

Botan, from R&A Barbers on Devizes Road, said many clients travel from other parts of Swindon.

“They definitely have to pay more than what they used to,” he said. “It’s going to be more difficult for them. I think I’m going to lose clients because of that. I hope not.”

Alex Call, owner of Bert’s Books on Wood Street, questioned the need for reform.

“I think raising the prices in Old Town isn’t really necessary,” he said. “If it’s not about boosting revenue, which the council have claimed it’s not, and it’s about dwell time, then we don’t actually have an issue with dwell time in Old Town.”

He said customers already spend time in the area under the current system.

“We’ve got people coming, we’ve got people staying for as long as we need them to stay. People are comfortable doing that. The parking structure is allowing them to do that.”

He added: “It’s not broken, it doesn’t need fixing.”

The council maintains the policy is designed to support regeneration and encourage longer visits. Traders argue the four-hour cap contradicts that aim.

With the changes now approved by council, business owners say they hope the administration urgently reconsider before new charges are implemented on 1st April.