Working with individuals, community groups and businesses on a daily basis throughout January 2023, my second campaign at the Chronicle & Echo fought against proposed car parking price increases in Northampton town centre - in a bid to get West Northamptonshire Council to change its budget plans.

Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

How businesses, the public and Chronicle & Echo teamed up in a campaign against parking increases

As this newspaper’s coverage on the increase in town centre car parking proposals draws to a close, let us look back on the campaign which hoped to stop it going ahead – with help from businesses, the public and groups across Northampton. This means from April, weekday parking costs will increase to £1.10 per hour, the first two hours on Saturdays and Sundays will be free, and there will be a flat-rate of £2.20 for anyone staying longer than two hours on weekends in council-owned town centre car parks.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

Fight lost for town centre car parking charges, as increases passed by council

The town centre car parking proposals have been approved this evening (February 22) at a West Northamptonshire Council budget meeting, which will see the increases implemented from April. This decision comes months after the budget proposals were first revealed in a 121-page draft budget and medium financial plan in December 2022 – which estimated the town centre car parking plans could raise an extra £1 million in revenue.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

West Northamptonshire Council reveals cheaper town centre car parking is an ‘employment benefit’

This comes after questions were raised about how much council workers and councillors pay to park, following WNC proposals to increase town centre parking for visitors, which many businesses and residents have spoken out against. The price structure is £20 a month to park at the Mayorhold car park only, £40 to add St John’s multi storey, and £50 to add access to the undercroft car parks – beneath the office buildings at One Angel Square and the Guildhall.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

One of the newest shops to join town centre shares fear over prospect of ‘worrying’ parking hikes

One of the newest shops to be welcomed to Northampton town centre towards the end of last year was KS Flowers. Located in The Ridings Arcade, St Giles’ Street, visitors were excited to see a new and luxurious florist open in the town. However, just two months on, business owner Ksenija Sturina has shared her fear over the prospect of the “worrying” parking increases proposed by West Northamptonshire Council.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

‘Unnecessary’ parking increases will see customers order online elsewhere, says restaurant owner

The owner of a town centre restaurant believes West Northamptonshire Council’s plans to increase parking charges will see more people stay at home and order online from elsewhere. Mehmet Yetkin, the owner of Wedgwood and Alberto’s in Abington Street, is already in a battle with online food delivery companies as he pays them around 30 percent on each order.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

40-year-old business brands council ‘on another planet’ for proposing town centre car parking increases

A Northampton town centre business, which has been open for 40 years, has branded West Northamptonshire Council as “on another planet” for proposing an increase to car parking charges. Saint Gyles Jewellers, in St Giles’ Street, has seen many businesses close and struggle around them over the past four decades and believes if the plans go ahead, there is “no doubt” this would get worse.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

‘Businesses and residents are only half the story,’ says reverend on impact of car parking proposal on religion

A well-known Northampton reverend has spoken out about the impact West Northamptonshire Council’s town centre car parking proposal will have on religious communities – saying “businesses and residents are only half the story”. Reverend Oliver Coss, the rector of All Saints’ Church, took to social media to express his dismay and is fully behind this newspaper’s campaign to stop it from going ahead.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

‘Outrageous and short-sighted’: Petition for council to abolish plans to increase town centre parking charges

As a result, he has set up an online petition in connection with this newspaper’s campaign, which was launched yesterday (January 19), and you can find the link to sign it at the end of this story. The report says the plans could raise an extra £1 million in revenue and the rise in parking charges was meant to be discussed on its own, but was bundled up in the 121-page draft budget and medium financial plan – as reported by Chronicle & Echo in December 2022.
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

Town centre car park increases slammed as ‘slap in the face’ by ‘angry’ business owner

The business owner, who has been operating in the town centre for four years, said: “We’re very busy on weekends and the council doesn’t realise how many people actually visit. Most businesses are finding ways around the energy bill hikes,” said Julie. “But if people won’t come into the town – and why should they when they can go elsewhere for free – we will lose even more businesses."
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

‘We will be fighting it,’ says St Giles’ Street business ‘disgusted’ by council proposal for parking increases

During that time, she has already had to contend with the rising cost of living, decreased footfall in the town, and now the prospect of losing even more custom if the increased town centre parking goes ahead. “No free parking over the Christmas period had a huge impact. Our town centre is one of the most extortionate places to park and has such an out of date system.”
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

Northampton Town Centre BID assures businesses ‘we want to be part of the solution’ to parking proposals

Talking to Chronicle & Echo, Mark said: "We're all looking forward to seeing a modern, vibrant town centre once the new look Market Square, Abington Street and elsewhere are complete, but while that work is ongoing businesses are facing a period of unprecedented upheaval in the middle of a cost of living crisis. It's absolutely essential we do all we can to protect our businesses and help them through this period if we want them to be a part of our town centre in the future."
Northampton Chronicle & Echo •

Chronicle & Echo opinion: Why we must fight plan to push up parking fees in Northampton town centre

Businesses in our town are facing one of the most challenging financial periods in their history. Coming out of a worldwide pandemic, the country is facing a cost of living crisis and the public has a fast decreasing disposal income to spend in our shops. The council says it is facing the same challenges and they have to raise money somehow. There is no doubt that is true. They also say that the pressures being felt in Northampton are the same as those across the rest of the country.