Workers struggle to find parking (From Witney Gazette)

Workers struggle to find parking

3:03pm Monday 8th January 2007 in Witney By Rosalind Miles

WITNEY town centre workers are having problems parking after 200 long-stay parking places in the Woolgate car park were changed to short-stay.

From December 19 until Friday this week, only 100 long-stay (12 hours) parking spaces have been available, as the district council changed 200 spaces to short stay (three hours) to accommodate shoppers.

The council says the move was made to help people access the town centre over the busy Christmas shopping season, but many workers found there have not been enough spaces to park. Five people have complained to the council.

William Russell, of Windrush, who works in Waterstones three days per week, said: "It's stupid. Unless I get here at 8am, all the spaces are gone. I don't start work until 9am, and I don't want to have to wait around for an hour before work.

"They don't think about people who work here. It's causing loads of problems to quite a few people."

Caroline Leech, of Eastfield Road, Witney, who works in Holland and Barrett, said: "It's ridiculous. I have to drop my kids off at school at a certain time, and then come to work. I can't drop them off any earlier, so I can't get there earlier enough to get a space. All the three-hour spaces are empty, so they're obviously not that much in demand."

Celia Townsend, of Pensclose, Witney, who works in Specsavers three days a week, said: "I start work at 9.30am, so, of course, when I arrive, all the long-stay spaces are taken, and I have to park in the short-stay area and move my car twice a day.

"It takes ten or 15 minutes each time, and I have to stay later at the end of my shift to make up the time. Before Christmas, I couldn't get away from work as I had a customer on the phone, and so I got a ticket - I was six minutes late. It's very annoying, and taking more long-stay spaces away is just going to make it worse."

District council spokesman, Sam Simpson, said: "Christmas and New Year sales period increases demand for a quicker turn-around, potentially four times the normal usage, therefore allowing more drivers to park. It has also helped with the management of the car park, which involves key health and safety considerations, at this extremely busy time of year.

"There is additional long-term parking also available in Witney at the nearby Welch Way car park, Cogges Farm Museum, and the artificial training pitch, at Gordon Way, off Station Lane.

"As this is a temporary measure, consultation was not carried out.

"We have received five complaints, but there has been positive feedback from shoppers."