PEOPLE on one Wirral high street fear it could become “a parade of shuttered shops” if charges are brought in for the car park around the back. Those in Bromborough Village feel the change could be another blow after the loss of banks, shops, and the town’s library and civic centre.

Bromborough Village in south Wirral is dotted with a number of businesses, restaurants, cafés and a butchers that people told the LDRS is still hanging on despite the competition of Croft Retail Park just down the road. The area sits at a sort of political crossroads with council wards represented by Greens, Liberal Democrat, and Conservatives all within a short walk.

However, the new plans which look to bring in charges for the All Port Lane car park have prompted uproar in the town again with over 1,000 people signing a petition in 24 hours. The petition, calling for the car park to be kept free, now has over 2,000 signatures with many believing the arguments for keeping it free are stronger than ever.

Like 21 other car parks and roads in three other areas where the changes could also be brought in, rates will range from £1.20 for one hour to £6 for four hours or more. A £1 overnight charge will also be brought in for anyone wanting to park between 6.30pm and 8am.

In December 2023, councillors from all parties unanimously approved a new parking strategy for the borough that could generate £15m for the local authority in the long run. Wirral Council said the new proposed charges were to help deliver this policy and in July, a budget report said parking charges would be needed to help balance the local authority’s finances and close a £300,000 shortfall in its parking budget.

Phil Spencer who started the petition against the charges said it was the third time they’d had to do this. Pointing to the loss of several banks on the high street, he added: “We lost the civic centre and the library recently and in some ways we feel we have paid our dues here. If we lose the easy use of the car park, it will damage the businesses.

“I just think it’s about being sensible. It’s not a picture postcard place but it just needs preserving as far as possible. We feel what was a really thriving community has slowly suffered, not necessarily due to the council’s actions but it’s just the way town centres have redefined themselves.”

Mr Spencer felt like Bromborough was “a special case” given how close it is to the Croft Retail Park and the free parking available there. While he said he understood the council is trying to encourage walking and cycling, he added: “We have an ageing population. It’s not easy for some of the people to actually do any of these things. They can’t ride bikes and they can’t walk very far or walk far to get the bus.”

Several businesses are also supporting the campaign. Just off the car park, Lynne Carmichael, owner of Cardworks said: “It’s small value. They aren’t going to come in and pay for parking just to pick up a greetings card. It’s a lot to ask of people.

“We have been here for nine years. We have been through three battles with the car park and we have seen it all. It goes away and then 12 months later, they think you have forgotten about it and push again for charges. That is how we feel, that it will just happen again.”

Brenda Whitworth is a volunteer at a charity shop for the Claire House Children's Hospice told the LDRS: “This village will die because people will go over to the Croft. It’s so wrong,” adding: “If you need a placard holding up, I will be there. I just can’t stand the injustice of it.”

If the parking charges are introduced, Michelle McConnell, the shop’s manager, said they would cover the cost of any parking for volunteers but this means around £110 or more could be spent a week covering this, adding: “It’s money coming out of the charity that doesn’t need to be.” She also worries the charges could add to a further drop in footfall following bank closures.

She said people used the car park too for nearby church events and weddings as well as the village fair, adding: “We are fighting to keep our community together. Since the library went and the banks and two charity shops, it’s getting quieter and quieter. It would be a nail in the coffin.”

John Muff runs Muff’s the Butchers, a family-run award-winning business that has been in Bromborough village since 1974. He said he and a number of his employees use the car park, adding: “It’s going to penalise the people working here for a start and the worry is the customers coming in too. In the time we are in now, we want to be supporting the high street, not penalising it.

“That car park does get full and we even have customers who will come in the next day if it is. You won’t see them. We do rely on the parking.”

He said: “There’s not one person who supports it. If you look at it, everyone is against it so how can they possibly justify it?”

Carol Molyneux, who runs the Village Café, said she didn’t know anyone in favour of the plans, adding: “I have worked here in the village for 30 years. We have been in this place for 12. I think it’s going to finish people. We have got a little bit quieter since Covid so it’s not going to help.

“We do have a lot of regular customers and we are quite busy and then you go outside and it’s like a ghost town.”

Outside Wirral Sensory Services, posters are also up urging people to oppose the charges. The food tasting business of 20 years, works for supermarkets and sees around 150 people visiting the company every a week. One of its co-directors Paul Melvil said: “It just seems like there’s no joined up thinking” arguing the council was trying to encourage people to shop local but then is thinking of bringing in the charges.

“There has to be some consideration given to the public. You can’t just take and the council’s purpose is to give, not take. If you take away parking and you take away libraries, it just feels like a misstep.”

Responding to questions on its website, Wirral Council has said it will monitor the impact on businesses as the charges are rolled out and cited a report done in 2023 which “showed that people who walk or cycle or take public transport may spend longer at the shops and spend more money.” The council said: “The changes are designed to encourage a regular turnover of parking spaces so that the businesses can get a variety of customers throughout their business day and more people can have access to parking spaces.”

Any objections and comments will be reported back to the council’s Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee and any charges aren’t expected to be brought in until the winter. The council said: “The changes are designed to encourage a regular turnover of parking spaces so that the businesses can get a variety of customers throughout their business day and more people can have access to parking spaces.”

As for how changes could impact areas surrounding car parks, the local authority said: “It’s not possible to say exactly what might happen following the introduction of parking charges so each location will be monitored. Parking charges are being proposed for both car parks and on-street locations to help limit any displacement from car parks as both will then be just as favourable as each other in terms of cost. Additional traffic management measures such as residents parking zones and yellow lines will be considered where essential for the safety of road users.”