I have read that some small businesses have suffered a drop in turnover since the introduction of Sharrow parking permits, due to lack of daytime customer parking. Other business in the area have also suffered.
My small business on London Road is on the edge of this scheme and has suffered a 5-10% drop in turnover. I understand other daytime businesses are also suffering this due to lack of daytime customer parking from Monday to Saturday (inclusive).
Th
e area from the bottom of The Moor to Abbeydale Road has suffered from increased use of double yellow lines, reducing parking generally, and aggressive parking wardens, often visiting the area twice between 4pm and 6.30pm to enforce the urban clearway regulations. Also afternoon parking restrictions have been reduced from 4.30 to 4pm.
A lot of town centre commuters now have moved from parking in the Sharrow Vale area to the Highfields area (Alderson Road, Woodhead Road etc), thus further reducing the parking availability. All the council has achieved is to move the parking problem.
What do you think of the parking permits scheme? Post your comment below.I was told at a meeting of the London Road Business Forum attended by councillors, Highways Dept, Police, and Employer's Forum etc in late 2006 that the Highfields area would be the next area subject to this parking zone. But I now understand Crookes is going to be the next area and I feel very sorry for the daytime businesses that rely on parking availability. I understand these parking schemes are Government-funded and that Sheffield City Council wants to spend this money irrespective of the views of local traders or whether it is appropriate for the area.
Sheffield City Council Transportation Planning Manager said in a letter that the SVPPS 'will not impact on the spaces available for short stay parking'. The exact opposite has taken place.
Nobody takes any notice of any of the Independent Traders on London Road. There are a lot of vested interest groups only interested in trying to justify their existence. Nobody seems to care about daytime businesses that rely on customer parking for their business and their families' livelihoods.
This seems to be a bit like what the Boston Tea Party was about – taxation without representation.
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