Parking problems turning village into a ghost town - As shopkeepers lose trade, councillor blames recession

Written by Francis Batt & Alastair Beach - francisb@baylismedia.co.uk or alastairb@baylismedia.co.uk and published in Windsor Advertiser on Thu 29th Jan 2009

A FLURRY of shop closures which is threatening to turn Datchet into a "ghost village" is a result of draconian parking measures, shopkeepers said this week.

Overzealous traffic wardens and harsh parking restrictions have contributed to several businesses moving out or closing down in the village because, they argued, customers and staff cannot park.

Furious Martin Fowke moved his garage, Martin Paul Motors, to Runnymede on Saturday after two decades in The Green. He said it had become impossible to run a business there since the decriminalisation of parking last January.

"A few years ago they painted yellow lines around here to the point of madness," said the 59-year-old. "Now no one can park. "And they've got wardens in Smart cars who won't even let people unload their deliveries without giving them a ticket. "I have lost bundles of money over there from the parking. Everyone's losing money. We just had to go. In a year's time this place

will be empty."

Nazirul Islam, who owns Spices restaurant, is equally frustrated with the parking situation.

"We are losing business and we really need help," he said.

His brother Bashir Islam owns the premises nearby which has been unoccupied since October. "It looks horrible having empty shops. This place will turn into a ghost town if it is not careful," he said.

Over the past few months an estate agent and a butchers are among those who have left, with the blame heaped on parking and the difficult retail climate. G Russell Butchers had been going in the village for a century before it quit earlier this month.

But Cllr Jesse Grey (Con, Datchet) suggested that the difficulties were more to do with the recession.

"There is plenty of room in the car parks but people don't want to park there. "They want to be right by the shops but the village layout is not conducive to parking outside the shops."

Advantage card holders get two hours of free parking at the car parks, she added.