Hot TOPICS 
Free parking every which way but here!
(November 30, 2010)ANOTHER rival shopping centre will benefit from the festive offer of free car parking as Mendip District Council relaxes its tax on the motorist for a limited time.
The offer will start on the second Saturday in December and will last for final two weeks of the Christmas shopping window.
"Every year we receive requests from the public and business community for the council to help boost trade during the Christmas period," explained Mendip's car parks manager, Nicola Keyworth-Wright.
"We want the whole district to benefit, which is why we have included all of our car parks - from those people that live and work in Mendip, to the businesses and shoppers who spend their money in the run-up to the festive period."
Warminster shopkeepers will have to rely on those spaces that are available for one hour all year round and the good will of supermarkets.
"I have asked the town council at their next meeting to urgently meet with Wiltshire Council to thrash out a deal to create a level playing field," says Paul Macdonald.
"I have sent an urgent e-mail to Cllr. Tony Nicklin who is due to chair the next meeting of the town development committee asking that this subject be added to the agenda."
UPDATED 2 /12/2010 Parking in Liverpool city centre will be free from December 1 right up to Christmas Eve was announced just over 48 hours ago is the latest as a community crusader urges his local town council to catch up.
Calderdale Council has decided all council parking places will be free in Halifax on the five Thursdays before Christmas which partially mimics the three in the afternoon decision of the council responsible for the car parks in Frome.
A regional council has declared an armistice on shoppers who rely on the motor car. It comes into effect throughout Gwynedd on 19 December and will remain in place until 3 January for the New Year sales.
"That is clever," says Warmminster community campaigner Paul Macdonald. "They want to add the attraction of the January sales."
Warminster town council have been asked to react urgently by Paul who as a former councillor succeeded with achieving the economic boost to the town of the Crusader business park.
"In Lowestoft they will consider a proposal to waive car parking fees for two Saturdays before Christmas Day and on Monday December 27th," adds Paul.
"I am told that parking charges in Basildon are being cancelled from Christmas Eve until Monday January 3.
"This is a total mess nationwide but the one thing I do know is that we in Warminster have to go a lot less than all those extra miles to say shop local.
"Warminster has so many interesting shops we need to not only be up there competing with those trying to bribe our shoppers away but encouraging others to to take a look."
*visionforwarminster again backs the shop local campaign this year (see our recent hot topics and shop local section).