Pushed to the limit

Nick puts his foot down on parking restrictions

A CONCERNED business owner from Uppermill will be taking to village streets this weekend to rally against proposed new parking restrictions.

Nick Watts has lived in Uppermill for 10 years and owns IT business Urban Haze.

He believes that new restrictions to limit parking to two and three-hour stays will be damaging to businesses and a nuisance to local residents.

The 37-year-old will be pounding the streets on Saturday and Sunday in a bid to gain 500 signatures against the new measures.

Nick claims there has been a lack of consultation from Oldham Council.

He said: “The proposal for parking restrictions in Uppermill is not based upon any solid facts.

“It is based on pure speculation and has been pushed through without reasonable notification or consultation with the local people and businesses that it supposes to be in the interests of.

“In fact, it stands to damage the local businesses and compound the already problematic issue of parking for businesses, residents and visitors in the village centre.

“As one local man, I have done what all the resources of both the Parish Council and Oldham Council have failed to do, which is simply to discuss the issue directly with the people affected and provide at least some form of reasonable consultation with an opportunity for people to object.”

The independent Traffic Regulation Order Panel is scheduled to meet later this month to decide on a timescale for the implication of the measures should they be deemed appropriate.

Councillor John McCann said: “Parking is limited and there is no easy solution to get more.

“A lot of businesses will be affected by the arrival of Tesco and this will allow people to park for a few hours and shop locally.

“It will be an inconvenience for people working at the businesses, but it will be a boom for customers.

“I’ve spoken to other shops who are very much in favour of it.”

He also confirmed that questionnaires will be circulating streets in Uppermill in the near future to gain residents’ views on a paid residents’ parking scheme.