Alloa Town Centre

Traders in Alloa are leading the campaign against any potential car park charges in Alloa Town Centre, highlighting that town centre users will vote with their feet and shop elsewhere.

Free parking is Alloa's Unique Selling Point and it is true that many shoppers come to Alloa specifically for free parking.

Shoppers and employees working in the town centre would also be effected with any introduction of any charging.

Alloa's BID Team are currently working with our BID members and Clackmannanshire Council, and will be meeting with the Jacobs, the traffic management consultants appointed by the council, at the end of the month to discuss the options and highlight traders concerns.

With the relocation of Forth Valley College and Clackmannanshire Council's centralisation of staff to Kilncraigs, additional pressure will be placed on the existing car park spaces within the town centre.

Joanne Calder, from Morgan's Hairdressers and her staff have been distributing surveys and a petition to guage local feeling and concerns. To date Joanne has spoken to sixty local businesses, who have all stated that parking charges would not be good for local business.

Parking charging was first raised at the budget council meeting on the 10th February. Councillor Eddie Carrick, Sustainability Portfolio Holder told the Alloa Advertiser " As part of the budget in February, council agreed to carry out a study of parking in Alloa Town Centre. Following a tender exercise, Jacobs have been appointed to conduct an extensive parking survey which includes questionnaires, meetings with key stakeholders such as local business and community councils and detailed traffic surveys. The feasibility of parking charges is part of the study. The result of the survey will be fed back to the council in the autumn and a report will be brought to a council meeting with the analysis of the results and decisions will be made".