Burnham-On-Sea’s Chamber of Trade has this week described as “shameful” a decision by the district council not to provide free parking in the town during the run-up to Christmas.
Weekend parking charges have often been waived by the council during December in an effort to encourage more visitors to do their Christmas shopping in town.
However, the cash-strapped council said this week it has no plans to scrap the charges this Christmas.
The Chamber of Trade’s Deputy Chairman, Tom Ashton, said shoppers should not be put off visiting the town.
“It is a shameful decision, and we would urge people to support our town’s traders during these hard times,” Mr Ashton told Burnham-On-Sea.com. “This is one year when businesses could do with as much help as possible.”
Sedgemoor District Council’s Andrew Woodward told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “While weekend parking charges have been waived in some previous years leading up to Christmas, we have received no instructions to repeat this and normal charges will apply.”
Up until 2007, the council had offered free car parking on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the month of December at car parks in the town, including Lynton Road (pictured above).
For a guide to Burnham’s best shops, click here to visit the town’s online shopping guide.
