Hednesford traders angry after parking spaces lost
Angry traders in a Staffordshire town today claimed that they had been "duped" out of car parking spaces to keep new supermarkets happy.
Traders in Hednesford say soon-to-open Aldi's 90-minute parking limit does not suit many of their businesses, such as hairdressing salons, while Tesco's free car park is too far for many elderly customers to walk. Budget chain Aldi will be given control of 121 of 165 spaces at the Chase Gateway site when it opens its new supermarket early next year.
This would leave just 44 bays available without any time limit for other traders, including Hednesford Bingo hall, which attracts 2,000 people a week.
Aldi is taking up a unit as part of a £50 million upgrade of Hednesford. The revamp includes the new Tesco with a 640-space car park, which traders claim is too far away for pensioners.
Shoppers who overstay their time at the Aldi car park, which will be covered by registration plate recognition cameras, face fines of £70.
Simon Orme, chairman of Hednesford Traders Association, said: "The traders feel the restrictions are grossly unfair to the independent shopkeepers who have been in the town for years.
"There are a large number of businesses that require parking times of over 90 minutes. Although Tesco is unrestricted parking, you can't expect elderly people who are not good on their feet to walk over to our side of town.
"As long-time local traders we feel we've been duped, that we've had our car park taken away from us to keep the big supermarkets happy. We have not been consulted at all." The traders want shoppers to be given the option of paying if they want to stay longer than the free 90-minute period.
Councillor Diane Todd, Cannock Chase Council's town centre regeneration leader, confirmed that short-stay parking had been agreed with Aldi as part of a deal to bring the chain to Hednesford. "We are aware that there is an issue over parking at Aldi but we are due to meet traders to discuss the problem," she said.
