New Brentford High Street car park provides relief to businesses and shoppers

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 14th Jul 2009

Cllrs Dakers, Fisher and Hardy and a member of the Grounds Coffee bar team at Brentford High Street Car Park

Cllrs Andrew Dakers, Paul Fisher, Jon Hardy and Matt Harmer who collaborated closely with local traders to deliver car park for Brentford High Street are pleased that after three years of campaigning work has finally been completed on a new shoppers car park on Brentford High Street - free for the first hour (30p for 2hrs, 60p for 3hrs). The successful campaign for the car park led since 2006 by the chair of the Brentford High Street Steering Group, Cllr Dakers, secured cross-party support that enabled it to be opened on a temporary basis in 2007. Since then, the low-cost and well located car park has received much positive feedback from local businesses and local shoppers. The car park was first suggested in the early 1990s by the Brentford Regeneration Partnership but was never implemented.

Cllr Dakers, Chair, Brentford High Street Steering Group and Councillor for Brentford ward, said:

"It is really important that the Council provides support to small businesses that will at least ameliorate the some of the impacts of the economic downturn. I hope that this will be the start of a series of actions taken by the Council to help small retail businesses in Brentford and across the borough during the recession."

Cllr Jon Hardy, Lead member for service improvement and Councillor for Syon ward, added:

"Responding to the needs of the community, and after a protracted up-hill struggle, local councillors are pleased to deliver Brentford Town Centre's free-for-the-first-hour car park. This will enable local traders to compete on a level playing field with supermarket giants."

Reza Bazari from Arya's Styles enthusiastically stated:

"I have heard many good responses from my customers. The new car park is cheap, effective and very handy."