Environmental campaigners in Winchester are calling for a complete rethink on parking in the city.

Charging motorists more in the city centre and moving car parks to the edge of the city are among the proposals put forward Winchester Action on Climate Change (WinACC).

They have urged council chiefs to look into their recommendations.

However the ideas have been branded a “threat” to business by critics.

WinACC claims that the recent reduction of car parks has not had the feared negative impact on footfall.

It carried out research and its report reveals there are under-used spaces in the city.

WinACC has called for such parking spaces to be ‘re-allocated’ for other uses.

Their recommendations include shifting parking to the edge of the city to reduce congestion and air pollution, and using pricing to manage demand.

The city council is currently undertaking a review with Cllr James Byrnes, portfolio holder for economy, saying he must listen to business concerns.

But John Beveridge, chairman of the WinACC Transport Action Group, said: “Decisions mustn’t be based on prejudice and assumptions, but on evidence. This report from WinACC gives the evidence that the city council needs.

“We call on the council to look carefully at the facts before they make decisions which will be so important for the future of the city.”  In recent months the Friarsgate multi-storey and Chesil Street open air car parks have closed, and Upper Brook Street will follow.

The WinACC report clashes with the views of traders.

Tony Whyman, of Childhood’s Dream toy shop, said the city is endangered because of a lack of parking.

He has produced a report which he has circulated to Winchester BID and senior city councillors, reported in the Chronicle last week.

He accused WinACC of being “out of touch” with modern consumers who have little time and young mothers and those with mobility problems.

Continued on page 2 Mr Whyman said some car parks are ‘under utilised’ during the week but spaces are essential for peak days. He fears Winchester will be unable to cope with peak days and Christmas.

He said: “I think they (WinACC) are completely misplaced in what their views are, they do not really understand how retail works. The problem is in retail your customers are lazy they do no want to walk up a hill. 

“If you place extra barriers like increasing parking charges or having extra time with park and ride they won’t come to you, they will go somewhere else.

“Without car parking to cater for Christmas you are dead, if Winchester is to be successful it needs to have car parking that runs at 80 per cent load on a Saturday.

“I think they are out of touch with normal peoples lives, they are not used to running businesses or being consumers or having mobility issues. Their objective is to reduce parking in Winchester and this is a threat to peoples businesses, jobs in the city centre.”

Christine Holloway, WinACC co-director, said: “Our position is quite straightforward, what is really important is that decisions that are so significant to the health and well being for the people of Winchester ought to be made on the basis of facts not assumption.

“Looking at the facts having fewer cars and a more pleasant environment leads to better health and more trade and footfall.

“We have got to do something about the city’s roads they are nearly always blocked producing pollution which is bad for people’s health and it’s not doing the shops any good either.

“As far as Christmas is concerned there should be temporary arrangements to cope with the demand. It is a rare event that the car parks are too full, you can’t organise the whole parking in the town for the basis of one or two days.”