Road Works
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Posts
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Listening to Radio Wales this morning I noticed reports of temporary traffic lights causing problems in Regent Street. So what you may say! Today is a Monday…Market Day…probably the busiest day for shopping in Wrexham. I don’t know if these road works are only for one day or long term, but is it really necessary to start them on Market Day. It indicates a lack of planning or simply that they don’t care about any inconvenience caused, or minimising it.
Difficult one with road repairs and it is frustrating for traders and punters alike. I would prefer it in August than December but if it was short term I would prefer it on a Wednesday than any other day.
Benjamin’s throwaway point (which he has laboured on many occasions) appears to be contrary to all of the research and evidence on this subject. In the recent meeting with the Manchester Met University, it was made plain that Business Rates and Car Parking/Accessibility were the two most significant points that crop up all over the country for retailers which they want looked at.
In Wales, there are research papers all over the place that explain the impact of Car Parking charges and the Senedd has published its own material on the same
You may call it a throwaway point Alun, but now you have raised the subject, let me add some other points that you and others have conveniently ignored in your attempt to blame car parking charges as one of the prime reason for the deterioration of town centre businesses.
It became the easy option to latch onto on the back of Vinci tariff increases.
NOT ONCE, as far as I can recall, has the cost of public transport been mentioned, no, because it doesn’t fit in with the obsessional agenda for a reduction in business rates and a pathetic attempt at blaming the Council.
As an example, the SINGLE fare on public transport from Queensway or Coedpoeth is £2. That is £4 return trip.
Doesn’t that make the £1.30 or whatever, for car parking costs seem a little trivial?
It is really rich that Alun accuses me of labouring the point when the number of times I have mentioned my opinion on the slow demise of the town centre, pales into insignificance when measured against references made to business rates by him.
I make no apology for reiterating…….Small traders in Wrexham town centre are not offering the goods and services people want at the right (competitive) price. I, nor any other member of the public owes shopkeepers a living and it would be foolish to expect allegiance if the same product was on offer, cheaper at another convenient location.
To return to the topic of this thread, the current road works are scheduled for 2 weeks with others undoubtedly to follow.
Get your thinking caps on to find other reasons, because the current one patently isn’t working.I personally think that pedestrianization is the main cause of the decline of town centers. coupled with Internet shopping. The only trouble I find with parking fees are the lack of meters.
Why would anyone go shopping in a town center and walk to spend their money!
Most people these day wouldn’t go to the gym if it didn’t have a car park…. DIG UP THE ROADSPedestrianisation theory promotes increased footfall but has it worked out that way, in any town, not particularly Wrexham.
Take Pontypridd…go on…take it…
‘They’re going to ruin us with the pedestrianisation’ – Wales Online
Looking at the old pics of the town centre when cars could drive up Lampbit St and park up outside shops, thats when Lampbit St had shops of course, not council offices, or drive though Hope St down to Regent St and access Charles St, Chester St and High St, maybe things would be better without the pedestrian schemes, better access for delivery vehicles also.
Part of the plan no doubt was to prevent cars parking up for a short period in town for free, and to coral motorists into fee charging car parks instead.
At this point your town centre becomes an attraction with paid parking and has to compete with similarly available attractions sans parking fees – or with cheaper rates.
It is well documented, not hard to find evidence either, a brief google about Michigan Theatre having to close through lack of parking decades ago, once competitors with free parking arrived. Alarm bells for Odeon Eagles Meadow perhaps.
Michigan Theater: Most Beautiful Parking Garage on Earth | Urban Ghosts
Witness the fate of the Pointe Orlando shopping and cinema complex on International Drive in Orlando, how could anything go wrong there.
Well it charged for parking whereas within a short distance there were several similar offerings with free parking. Guess which one bombed. Initially they tried to compete by parking fee claim refunds at dining establishments – not good news for Frankie & Bennys at Eagles Meadow ?
Maybe customers are different in Wrexham ?
Anybody like to wager they are exactly the same – when Broughton opens it will crush Eagles Meadow so long as they pitch the parking properly ie free !!!Good point about the public transport into Wrexham town centre.
Hasn’t Wrexham Council reduced bus subsidies by around £495,000 this year ?
Some bus companies have either reduced services or cut them altogether.
Which certainly doesn’t help town centre traders.
Buses and taxis provide essential access to the town for many of us without cars, so absolutely correct to say increasing parking costs are not solely responsible for putting people off coming to town – cutting the buses does this as well.People shouldn’t mind too much if posters on this forum criticise the local council, after all they ARE accountable, and businesses and residents do provide their living.
If we don’t like a shop we don’t have to patronise them but we have to pay our Council Tax regardless, and no haggling around on price either.
Similarly, we can moan about WAG, the point traders raise re business rates is that the re-evaluation has been postponed to 2017 – its overdue, traders are right to raise business rates as a topic.
Business rates should already have been revised downwards, not doing so is arguably tantamount to putting their hands in the tills.More attractive parking, improved bus services and lower business rates may not save Wrexham town centre but they certainly should help keep things open rather than everything being turned into flats for students that may or may not be coming.
Benjamin. The Manchester Met identified hundreds of things that explain away the likely success or failure of a Town. Even those who do everything right will struggle over the next 5 years because that is the trend.
Wrexham is little different to other towns of its size and the problems that we see before us are fairly similar…the Internet, Car Parking charges, Rates, Super Markets vs Independents, Outer town shopping developments…and so on.
John Hoppy identified something that in his opinion might make a negative impact. There you go. You made a funny. There you go.
Clearly you believe that Wrexham’s decline has something unique about it that relates to inefficient shopkeepers, etc whilst others look elsewhere.
Perhaps it is time to identify those things about the shops of Wrexham that you don’t like, who the businesses are who are charging these non-competitive prices and offering poor service, where they might conveniently relocate to, and let us have the benefit of your retail nous to make things better. I, for one, would be interested because all inputs are well received.
@BenjaminM 14620 wrote:
NOT ONCE, as far as I can recall, has the cost of public transport been mentioned, no, because it doesn’t fit in with the obsessional agenda for a reduction in business rates and a pathetic attempt at blaming the Council.
Strongly agree that this is valid (the first part anyway)
I do wonder if pedestrianisation is an issue. I was in Gwersyllt a couple of days ago and had cause to go to the Dodds Lane shopping centre. It was heaving. This with assorted local shops all around, Tesco, a cafe & a fish & chip shop. All the shops were easily accessible and there was free parking. The reason that I called there was because of the lack of public toilets. I was told that the cafe there was very amenable if there was a need & yes they were very amenable and I thank them. It was certainly somewhere that I would go again.
I started this thread pointing out the (lack) of planning regarding road works and their effect on the town. The same lack of consideration can be seen with the road works at the Post House Roundabout (another thread) where the advisory signs are placed so that it is not possible to take action to avoid them. It almost seems as if it is a policy NOT to consider any inconvenience caused when undertaking works of this kind.
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