We, the businesses, residents and visitors to Sudbury petition that Babergh District Council keep the 3 hours free parking in all their car parks in Sudbury and do not increase the charges for parking in the long stay car park.
Keeping three hours free parking in Sudbury is crucial to the survival of many businesses in Sudbury and this was shown as the main issue raised by the businesses as the “most important factor to the success of their business in the future” in a survey carried out by Sudbury Town Centre in January 2014. Another survey carried out by the Sudbury Town Team and Gainsborough's House of visitors and residents who visited the town centre which came out in June 2015 showed that 31.7% came into Sudbury because of the free parking and Government policy on High Streets and Town Centres: clearly reinforces the prohibition against parking being used to generate profit.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 10, 2021
February 8, 2021
My shop depends on these parking bays and I am watching our count creep toward five hundred. Please send this link out to your neighbors so we can show the council exactly how many people rely on this access for our town to survive.
June 19, 2020
Seeing this momentum grow reminds me how vital those spaces are for the shops I grew up visiting. It means everything to see so many people fighting to keep our town accessible for the local businesses that define us.
Reached 100 supporters
February 13, 2016
February 10, 2016
My family shop has relied on these customers for years and seeing you all rally behind us confirms that we are fighting for the heart of this town. We are right on the verge of hitting our first hundred signatures so please send this link to three people who want to keep our high street thriving.
327 Comments
When we live rurally as most do surrounding Sudbury and there is no bus service free parking is essential when the high street is facing challenge free parking encourages people to the town. Think beyond profit think about the businesses.
This will also impact local residential streets as some people will inevitably look for somewhere free to park while they pop into town. Will we ever get any parking back in the market square especially for blue badge holders or North Street or has that now gone for good?
Parking free for 3 hours means we can enjoy shopping, supporting the market, visiting the library and enjoying walks without it costing anything. The town centre needs to encourage visitors and parking fees will reduce numbers.
As a visitor from Toronto to the East Anglia area, Sudbury is always on our list at least a few times per trip for the shopping because of the free short-stay parking. If you change that, our shopping habits will change.
I lived near Colchester and stopped going to shop there due to the extortionate parking fees. The last time I visited there were extremely large numbers of empty shops. Sudbury however has weathered the recesssion well due to a busy town supported by free parking.
Bridal parties park here as to get to Sudbury registry office nearby and we shop frequently using this car park you will ruin the towns market shops from huge footfall they have now better to shop local rather than leave carbon footprint and travel further away to shop how sad to so this to a beautiful vibrant town
If I have to pay for parking, I definitely won’t be using my local town (Sudbury) for shopping/opticians/ dentist etc. I will travel to a larger town with more options for my money!
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We, the businesses, residents and visitors to Sudbury petition that Babergh District Council keep the 3 hours free parking in all their car parks in Sudbury and do not increase the charges for parking in the long stay car park.
Keeping three hours free parking in Sudbury is crucial to the survival of many businesses in Sudbury and this was shown as the main issue raised by the businesses as the “most important factor to the success of their business in the future” in a survey carried out by Sudbury Town Centre in January 2014. Another survey carried out by the Sudbury Town Team and Gainsborough's House of visitors and residents who visited the town centre which came out in June 2015 showed that 31.7% came into Sudbury because of the free parking and Government policy on High Streets and Town Centres: clearly reinforces the prohibition against parking being used to generate profit.
Updates
Reached 500 supporters
February 10, 2021
February 8, 2021
My shop depends on these parking bays and I am watching our count creep toward five hundred. Please send this link out to your neighbors so we can show the council exactly how many people rely on this access for our town to survive.
June 19, 2020
Seeing this momentum grow reminds me how vital those spaces are for the shops I grew up visiting. It means everything to see so many people fighting to keep our town accessible for the local businesses that define us.
Reached 100 supporters
February 13, 2016
February 10, 2016
My family shop has relied on these customers for years and seeing you all rally behind us confirms that we are fighting for the heart of this town. We are right on the verge of hitting our first hundred signatures so please send this link to three people who want to keep our high street thriving.
327 Comments
As a retailer in North street, already seeing the struggle of high street demise. Even more so with lockdown/pandemic this will just be another nail in the coffin, push the high street customer/shopper further away
When we live rurally as most do surrounding Sudbury and there is no bus service free parking is essential when the high street is facing challenge free parking encourages people to the town. Think beyond profit think about the businesses.
This will also impact local residential streets as some people will inevitably look for somewhere free to park while they pop into town. Will we ever get any parking back in the market square especially for blue badge holders or North Street or has that now gone for good?
Parking free for 3 hours means we can enjoy shopping, supporting the market, visiting the library and enjoying walks without it costing anything. The town centre needs to encourage visitors and parking fees will reduce numbers.
As a visitor from Toronto to the East Anglia area, Sudbury is always on our list at least a few times per trip for the shopping because of the free short-stay parking. If you change that, our shopping habits will change.
I lived near Colchester and stopped going to shop there due to the extortionate parking fees. The last time I visited there were extremely large numbers of empty shops. Sudbury however has weathered the recesssion well due to a busy town supported by free parking.
Bridal parties park here as to get to Sudbury registry office nearby and we shop frequently using this car park you will ruin the towns market shops from huge footfall they have now better to shop local rather than leave carbon footprint and travel further away to shop how sad to so this to a beautiful vibrant town
If I have to pay for parking, I definitely won’t be using my local town (Sudbury) for shopping/opticians/ dentist etc. I will travel to a larger town with more options for my money!
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As a retailer in North street, already seeing the struggle of high street demise. Even more so with lockdown/pandemic this will just be another nail in the coffin, push the high street customer/shopper further away