FRUSTRATED business owners have organised a meeting with a local councillor to challenge parking changes on a Carlisle city centre road. Our readers had their say on the News & Star website and Facebook page.

Council needs to wake up and realise the city centre is dying rapidly. Free parking will cost them short term revenue, but continued pay and display parking will result in no shops, no parking revenue and no business taxes. Follow Penrith’s lead and make parking easier and free.

mac the mac

Or leave the car at home and take the bus. Incentivise leaving the car at home. Make driving into town the least appealing option.

curry-club

It’s not just the historic quarter. The road down the side of Iceland is now residents only. If it hadn’t been for a kind business owner who warned me, I wouldn’t have realised, having parked there for 20 years. The council have removed the disc zone signs and replaced them with tiny “residents only” signs. If I didn’t know better, I would think that they are trying to con people into getting a ticket.

What?!

Charge more for parking, make the buses free. Carlisle’s small enough that you can park further out and get a bus for that last mile or so. If you’re worried about shopping bags, get a trolley, they’re not just for old women.

Dagsannr

If you make it harder they simply go where it’s easier, Carlisle’s not like Carnaby Street, it’s a city with a city centre which is really struggling.

Carlisle truth seeker

The whole city should be free through December, let’s give retail businesses a chance!

Sally Kenning

Our shop is on Abbey Street and our customers have nowhere to park they won’t come to our shop if there is nowhere for them to park. It’s not fair, we are an independent shop too, I went to the meeting but never got to say my peace.

We don’t come into Carlisle now as we find it hard to park and as we live in an area that has no public transport we have to use our cars.

Kevin Charlton

I said this would happen as the council don’t like people parking for free. It all started with the upgrade of Castle Street, this was to make it easier for the tourists. The tourists are too well looked after but at the cost of Carlisle citizens.

Kevin McDonald

Every sympathy for the businesses involved! Do the council actually want us to use our city shops? One wonders. Must also be very annoying for them too, knowing a certain large business on Castle St, doesn’t have to pay certain rates for two years. Doesn’t seem fair to me!

Pat Kirkup

I have a business and a home on Chapel Street and have paid to park in Lowther Street car park for three years to live in my house at the cost of £1,000 per year is that fair because of idiots parking all day moving discs and events at various establishments on an evening.

Stuart Pearce

Free on a Sunday. And less loading bays on weekends. It’s not rocket science.

Claire J Wheeler

Don’t know why the council stopped parking in the loading bays on an evening and on Sundays... Really bizarre move!

Mandy Larkin

In this day and age why can’t we pay for the time we use the park, rather than by the hour, there’s a lot of time owed when for example you have paid for two hours yet only used one hour 30 minutes.

Lesley Anne

They tried to bring in parking meters a couple of years ago which was rejected by the public which would have allowed you to pay for the time spent.

Stuart Pearce

We considered buying a house in Castle Street recently next to Tullie House but the lack of parking put us off. With no off street parking it is a nightmare if you have more than one car.

A park and ride scheme at Kingmoor Park would free up the parking for shoppers and for those working in the town.

Martin Mackay

I parked on Abbey Street last week, and there was 4/5 cars with tickets on....and I saw the warden twice in 45 minutes. Seemed like he was just going round and round the same streets catching folk out. Good way to put some money in the bank.

Rosie Waters

Very hard now to park in town. Is there a park and ride scheme yet?

Simon Coope

The council on a mission to destroy the town centre, they are nearly done.

Davidlinda Storey

I had to keep looking at all the signs to check out where I could park. Not many spaces now.

Julie Elliot

Bad enough for shoppers, but a nightmare for people who have to work in the town centre.

Catherine Smith

No wonder the town centre is dead.

Feeona Belle