The announcement by the Tory administration running TDC that they are seeking to encourage residents to shop locally by allowing free parking in council run car parks after 3 PM has been greeted with derision by Harwich’s Labour councillors.
The initiative, triumphantly announced this afternoon by Portfolio Holder, Pam Sambridge, is also described as being designed to encourage visitors to the area.
Leader of Harwich Town Council’s Labour group, Les Double, says
“Shoppers using Dovercourt Town Centre do not go out to start shopping at 3PM and Cllr Sambridge must know that. Likewise, anyone planning a day trip to Harwich is unlikely to be arriving late in the afternoon. This is a total nonsense.”
Harwich’s Labour councillors are still furious that the popular scheme which allowed people to park for the first hour in the Milton Road car park for just 10p was scrapped by the TDC Tories and that a charge of 80p per hour was put in its place. Labour believes that, if the present Tory administration is serious about encouraging town centre shopping, it would admit they got it wrong and re introduce the 10p charge for the first hour.
“Allowing people to park free at a time when they don’t wish to is hardly going to help our town centre,” continued Les Double. “Labour’s ‘10p for the first hour’ initiative genuinely encouraged people to shop locally and the Tories should never have scrapped it.”
For further information please contact
Les Double on 01255 242645
Also see Harwich & Manningtree Standard -> Scheme to bring shoppers to Dovercourt is criticised