“PARKING charges set to be introduced in Northwich” – sounds like a done deal already!

While I appreciate that councils throughout the land are having to make savings and are cutting back on spending, I wonder just why our council has a black hole it needs to fill by penalising shoppers.

We have seen an explosion of new houses being built all round the town, and the increase of council tax receipts must have the coffers bulging.

If shoppers and cinema goers are to be encouraged to come to Northwich, the free parking needs to stay. Look what happened in nearby Altrincham – I grew up there and parking was always free.

Some idiots then thought it would be a good idea to sell off the car parks to developers, leaving a lack of spaces, which were then, all charged.

The town is slowly getting back on its feet after years of shops closing, but parking is still a nightmare, so I avoid going there. Is this the fate which awaits Northwich?

Paying to park will make motorists boycott the car parks...

councillors will then decree that the car parks are then underused and get rid of them.

The council needs to remember that people will vote with their feet and cars... out of town shopping centres have free parking, and online shopping means you don’t need to leave the house at all.

I would hope that the Guardian would actively petition against this “cash cow” plan, rather than report it as being “set to happen”.

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Editor's note: The Guardian has
campaigned against parking
charges in the past and has been
speaking to members of the
community to instigate a similar
campaign.