In an effort to boost to local businesses and residents alike, parking charges in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets will be frozen in 2009 and weekend parking around shopping areas, like the borough’s vibrant weekend markets, will be made free of charge.
This follows the lead set by Kensington and Chelsea Council, as reported a few days ago, as an attempt to boost trade for local business through these tough economic times.
We applaud the sentiment, but we also warn that these schemes are usually for a limited time period, so parkers will have to be very clear about when the “free” period expires, and what penalties, if any, they will then face for over staying their welcome.
The most deprived borough in the uk and Tower Hamlets charge extortionate fees for everyone, especially when people have to commute to a place of work using public service permits or any other kind of permits for their cars, this is not really justified, as we are parked all day near to our place of work and not polluting. Whilst trucks, hgvs, and heavy polluters travel through the borough polluting the area and people who live work are paying the price.
This is where Tower Hamlets will lose out to attract people to work in the area. Where I work staff are leaving due to day time robbery hikes and can’t recruit, as potential employees are
put of, of the cost of just parking in Tower Hamlets. Not very well thought out.
I agree with the comment made above by Mr Khusein, The cost of a single business parking permit is incredible. We pay an average of 1300 a year to park our cars. Pay & display costs 2 p/h & for staff this means a they lose a significant chunk of their weeks earnings. Tower hamlets business is being choked of by extortionate parking charges and lack of parking. We have got to a point were we will be relocting very soon.
Tower Hamlets parking policy is insane. The borough wants to attract business and professionals to live and work in it and thereby drag the rotten borough up but instead it has a ludicrous policy on car park free develpoments and then a policy of exorbitant charging.