“The current use of the land at Market Street Mossley and Mill Street Mossley as free parking is unsustainable for the Council in the circumstances of the significant ongoing budget cuts it is facing and in the interests of fairness across the borough.
Additionally, there is evidence that the sites in Mossley, particularly Mill Street, are being used as a free park and ride facility for people commuting into Manchester by train preventing the use of these spaces for shoppers and short stay visitors to local business and services. This supported by the Mossley Town Team and other individual objectors.
By introducing pay and display charges this should discourage this possibility and provide greater options for cheap short stay parking to support local businesses. Many town centres both across the borough and also the country in general are facing a challenging period and are having to adapt to changing circumstances. It is now the norm for charges to be payable for car parking facilities and generally communities and businesses have not suffered as a consequence.” Tameside Council.
Paid parking was first introduced to Mossley after the May General election 2015. The decision to impose charges on the two car parks, Market Place and Manchester Road was not taken too kindly by the businesses, business users, and residents whom frequently used these spaces.
A campaign was started by a concerned local resident who thought that the decision made by Tameside Council was ill thought out and did not give any consideration to the small businesses and residents that it might affect.
The Just Say No campaign was launched in early 2015 and was supported by members of Mossley Town Council including the Independent Together team. Initial feeling of mistrust of the decision to impose paid parking was not dampened during the speakers panel, which had over one hundred written representations and numerous personal representations from businesses and residents, including an objection from the Business and Resident Association of Bottom Mossley (BRABM) who presented case studies of how it would affect trade and the lifestyle of residents, whilst also challenging the cost effectiveness of Paid Parking at both of the sites,yet despite this the decision was made to go ahead with paid parking. Members of the BRABM stated that “we were not listened too” and” it was humiliating”.
As a consequence a petition was initiated that currently has over two thousand signatures from concerned residents. This is a continued “work in Progress “by campaigners who are gathering data and evidence, lack of use in Top Mossley, school visitors and shoppers opting to use the side streets in and around the area, causing parking and safety issues for residents.
The site at Bottom Mossley although used far more often (despite the machines being vandalised on numerous occasions) by commuters is also experiencing a negative effect on businesses and residents with case studies of loss of business, and residents frustratingly having to pay daily for parking at the site including weekends when they have to return to the site before eight am to renew their tickets.
All of these facts will support a challenge for a review that is currently being lobbied. With the imminent Britannia mill development and the inevitable extra parking restrictions that this will cause, in my opinion this review cannot come quickly enough for the wellbeing and prosperity of Mossley’s High streets.
