Reepham Life

I would like to thank Reepham Town Council for its contribution to the debate on proposed parking charges for the Station Road car park, as well as the letters on the Reepham Life community website.

Broadland District Council’s Economic Success Panel is an advisory panel and in this case to the Cabinet, which recently met.

It became clear that the author of the report had not been fully briefed; for example, that Reepham Town Council provided the lighting to the Station Road car cark and that the National Trust is the owner of one of the car parks in Aylsham.

One important change which I proposed – and the panel accepted – in the recommendation was that before any decision is made there should be wider consultation, including with town and parish councils.

The long resolution included the phrase “and mitigate the financial impact” and for this reason it is likely to prejudice the outcome, so I voted against the recommendation.

My view is that a financial surplus is by no means clear given the uncertainty of the current information.

Any surplus from the parking charges at Aylsham and Reepham is suggested be used solely for the enforcement of off-street and on-street parking restrictions in all the other Broadland District Council’s (free) car parks and on-street parking from Acle to Foulsham and everything in between. This cannot be equitable.

There is a lot of water to flow under this bridge.

Stuart Beadle, Reepham District Councillor

Re the introduction of parking charges (Reepham Life, 10 August 2019).

We feel the first hour should be allowed free; then charges should apply, increasing with the length of stay.

If charging is introduced, an effective system of policing would be required to prevent abuse.

Ian and Vanessa Sinclair, The Moor, Reepham

Re the introduction of parking charges (Reepham Life, 10 August 2019)

I feel parking charges will be detrimental to the footfall of the town.

We are very fortunate to have high-quality businesses operating in Reepham, which draw in visitors from all over.

One of the perks of visiting our lovely town is the free parking. It allows people to visit and park without the fear of incurring fines for overstaying. Public transport is also limited to the town, requiring the need to bring a car.

Parking charges will also negatively impact people working in the town who will see their take-home pay squeezed.

My view is that we need to be realistic about the world we live in now and welcome people who wish to visit and work in Reepham. They will spend their hard-earned money in our town, growing its business and creating prosperity.

Guppy Kular, Motts Pharmacy, Market Place, Reepham

Re the introduction of parking charges (Reepham Life, 10 August 2019).

Charging for car parking in small rural towns like Reepham should be strongly resisted as it drives more and more customers away from local shops into the hands of online sellers and edge-of-city superstores and will be one more nail in the coffin of local shops.

Maybe some research is needed into finding out where the drivers of all the cars currently parking in the Market Place and in the Station Road car park during the daytime are going to? They certainly don’t appear to be in any of the shops.

Having a restricted parking time of 1½ to 2 hours might be a good idea, but only if it was enforced.

Bryan Gostling, Bircham Road, Reepham