Swale Borough Council has come under fire from Faversham traders for not allowing free town centre parking in the run up to Christmas.
Free parking for Christmas shoppers was dropped by the then Conservative-run council last year and it has not been reintroduced by Swale's new Coalition administration for 2019.
But Faversham Traders Association chair and owner of E Street Music Tim Browns says the policy is “short-sighted” adding that he is “appalled by the lack of support for retail shops in the town”.
He describes the decision to allow free parking for Remembrance Sunday but not Christmas shopping as “double standards and unacceptable”.
Swale councillor Tim Valentine responded by saying evidence showed “three Saturdays of free parking would not help businesses because 99 percent of people who visit would have visited anyway”, adding: “This applies across all towns centres in Swale. There is no suggestion of concessions for Christmas parking offered in other towns that are not offered in Faversham.”
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