Latest news with #PaddyMorton
BBC News
14-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Stockton and Yarm parking review welcomed by business chief
A business leader has welcomed a review of town centre parking hour's free parking in Yarm and Stockton was removed by the local council earlier this year and replaced with a £1.50 has been branded "the wrong decision" by Paddy Morton, manager of a family business on Yarm High Street and chairman of the Yarm Business Borough Council said it was now looking to analyse the measure to get an understanding of what it had done to people's shopping habits. When the charge was introduced in February, the local authority said it was needed to cover the costs of maintaining local businesses said it has driven away customers and they have called for it to be scrapped. 'Full picture' needed Mr Morton described its implementation as a "knee-jerk decision", adding: "There was no consultation and no advice was taken."I think the first reaction [to the review] is to welcome the fact that they want to engage with town centre businesses and collect proper data, which should have been what happened in the first place."The council said it had monitored the impact and "provisional data" showed footfall in Yarm and Stockton "was higher every month than it was in 2024 and 2023".Cabinet members will meet on Thursday to decide the scope of the review and consider the type of data to be collected, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Paul Rowling, cabinet member for resources and transport, said: "While initial data collected in the first four months is showing that footfall is up in our town centres, we want to delve deeper and analyse the information and trends. "This will allow us to get the full picture of what removing the first hour of free parking has done to change residents and visitors' habits and how this may be affecting our town centre businesses."We also want to engage with those affected and listen to what they have to say." Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
24-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Petition prompts Yarm parking review call
Thousands of residents and traders have signed a petition calling on councillors to reverse a decision on parking follows the replacement of one hour of free parking with a £1.50 charge for three hours in Yarm and Stockton town claimed it was driving away customers and threatening their the petition containing more than 3,400 signatures was presented, Stockton councillors voted unanimously for a motion to call upon the cabinet to reverse the policy. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the petition read: "Free parking is crucial for supporting local businesses, encouraging footfall, and helping Yarm's economy thrive. "The council's changes to eliminate one hour free parking risks harming small businesses and deterring shoppers." 'Bustling to struggling' Paddy Morton, manager of the 170-year-old Strickland & Holt family business on High Street and chair of Yarm Business Forum, said almost all the street's businesses had signed it. He said that the council's current plan to review the charge within a year would be too late for many businesses."Footfall on the high street has already been adversely impacted by the loss of banks, post offices, lifestyle changes since Covid, the growth of online shopping, cost of living increases, inflation. "So we don't need more discouragement." Councillor Niall Innes, Conservative member for Hartburn, said: "Even a short visit now comes with a cost. "One hour free parking may seem small on paper, but for small businesses it was a difference between a bustling high street and a struggling one."He proposed a motion to send the matter back to cabinet for them to reconsider given the "vast public and business support for scrapping the new parking charges" and consult fully with businesses. The motion, which recommended cabinet reverse the policy and revert to one hour's free parking, was passed Paul Rowling, cabinet member for transport and resources and Labour member for Stockton town centre, said: "We have absolutely no intention of this not coming to cabinet because we feel local views should be heard."Stockton Council is run by a joint Labour and Independent coalition. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
