The Tavistock Times interviewed us yesterday and will hopefully add the link to the petition in the article.

Councillor Long has informed us that the charges are to do with B&M no longer wanting to subsidise but I have suggested that as there is not a B&M in every Zone B car park on the list it’s more likely to be because Cornwall Council want to put charges up … and the reason they gave?Currently 120 different tariffs exist across 135 chargeable car parks and the Council have suggested that by simplifying the tariffs it will “make it easier for the residents and visitors!”
Why?
We’re not stupid, our visitors and tourists aren’t stupid. We know how to use a machine (when they are working) or the app, to park. We don’t need it simplified. That sounds like an excuse to increase costs! 

We need support for local towns to flourish, not be killed off because the parking charges are so expensive.

A study was carried out by MRUK regarding the link between parking and shopping in towns of similar sizes and types in Wales.  Over three-quarters of the business owners / workers interviewed suggested that car parking options have an impact on the number of people coming into the town centre and therefore on their custom. Visitors to town centres suggested that car park charges impact on how long they to remain in the centre and, consequently, how much they spend whilst there. 

Now if you add to this that there is also talk of pedestrianisation of part of Callington Town Centre, which will result on the free on street parking being reduced, we need the County Council to be supporting the Town, not condemning it. 

It seems strange that the Council are not doing more to help towns, especially when Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have been allocated £132 million to spend on local investment - not to increase charges and possibly damage businesses.

Sign the petition to help our local Councillors have our voice when they speak to the County Council.  And if you have time and can do your own research, share it with us to help us further understand why the charges might or might not be necessary...

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