Parking nightmare will put off our customers

March 17th 2006
By Duncan Gibbons

More than 500 long and short-stay places will be lost when developers move on to central sites in Rugby over the next year, leaving just 2,500 places to park.
Contingency plans are being drawn up to combat the problem, including the possibility of car-sharing and park 'n' ride schemes, and asking organisations with private car parks to let shoppers use some of their spaces.
The move comes in the same week as Warwickshire County Council was praised for the success of a car sharing scheme for employees in Warwick.
In Rugby, spaces will be lost when developers move on to Chapel Street for the Asda development, Gas Street for a hotel plan and Craven Road as part of the station masterplan.

Although many of the spaces will return once the work is finished, a recent survey warned demand would still outstrip supply by 2011.
And parking meters will be installed in the town later this year, doing away with years of free on-street parking.
Liz Twynholm, owner of Joto Hobbies, in Lawrence Sheriff Street, said: "There is not even enough parking now - never mind in a few months' time. Lots of customers are saying it takes them ages to get parked.
"If people cannot get parked they will not come, they will go to Coventry, where there is more variety of shops, or Daventry, where they can park for free all day."
Rugby Borough Council asked several organisations if they could offer spaces during the crisis. Rugby School declined; Alstom, in Newbold Road, wants £35,000 a year rent, and Cemex, in Evreux Way, said its car park could be used on Saturdays.