CALLINGTON residents and business owners have come out in force to oppose a proposal by Cornwall Council to scrap an hour of free parking in the town’s main New Road South car park which a local councillor has said could be the ‘final nail in the coffin’ for retailers across the community.

The proposals to do away with the first hour of free parking for Callington and the all day free parking on Sundays are part of Cornwall Council’s plan to simplify tariffs in the county as there are currently 120 different tariffs across its 135 car parks. But the move could have a catastrophic effect on the town’s economy, local people are warning, and a petition of 600 names against it was collected in the first 48 hours.

Many residents have voiced their concerns over the effect that this change will have on local businesses.

Leanne Elliott and Hilary Mackey, who both trade in the town and have launched a petition against the plans said the one hour free parking enabled people to pick up a prescription, a newspaper, have a tea or coffee and meet up with friends.

‘Cornwall Council has just been given millions to spend on local investment and now it wants to damage businesses by taking free parking away and increasing charges. This will make a massive difference, the free parking is key to the success of our town.’

Pippa Lancaster-DaCosta who has lived and worked in Callington for 12 years said: ‘I feel very strongly that Callington is getting left behind.

‘The town strives to keep its businesses alive and all the business owners care so much about the town, but nothing is being done to encourage people to come here.

‘Callington has a huge amount of through traffic. It could thrive if people were encouraged to stop and shop. But nobody in authority seems to care. While the people who live here care deeply.’

Clive Teobald said: ‘Callington is just starting to improve it’s shopping facilities with new businesses opening up over the last two (covid ridden) years. Now they are putting up the “barrier” to improved trading again.

‘The thousands of motorists passing along the A388 Back Lane have no incentive to stop and park in the town and browse the shops and buy refreshment in Callington, rather they will continue on and visit either our Tesco (or the one at Launceston) both with free parking, or Tamar View Garden Centre or Tre, Pol & Pen (both with free parking).

‘We are watching people’s livelihoods being gradually destroyed here. Callington is not a town that benefits from thousands of holidaymakers or visitors. Those people drive through on the A388 only stopping for the traffic lights, sadly never spending their money in Callington.

Cornwall councillor for Callington Cllr Andrew Long said the car parking changes could have a ‘devastating’ effect on the East Cornwall town.

In an urgent letter to the council’s parking department he has asked for an explanation on the imposition of first hour charges in Callington’s main New Road South car park.

‘Callington has benefitted from an agreement I helped to formulate with the Coop and latterly B&M who agreed to pay the first hour charges which the council imposed on the New Road South car park, which effectively gave free one hour parking for people which helped provide a vital bit of assistance to retailers already suffering from the fall out from covid and the cost of living crisis.

He said Mebyon Kernow, the party of which he is a member of, had long challenged the council on the fact that it was ‘using the car parks as an effective cash cow which penalises the local people unfairly.’

‘It is ridiculous that policy after policy from Central Government and Cornwall Council talk about protecting the vitality of town centres, and the response is to punish those very facilities. This could be the final nail in the coffin for retailers across our community.’

New structures for parking charges are being introduced after Cornwall Council revealed that there are almost 120 different tariffs across the 135 car parks which have charges. By simplifying the tariffs the council hopes it will make it easier for residents and visitors.

In some areas the new charges will mean that parking rates increase by as much as 400 per cent. The council has said that people can further reduce charges by buying season tickets or rover passes.

Public consultation on the proposed charges will start on March 2 and finish on March 23. If the new charges are approved they will be implemented in May 2023.