Long-suffering businesses say they have been ’kicked in the teeth’ as council chiefs reinstated car parking charges after nearly three months.

A storm of protest has followed the decision to end free parking from yesterday (Monday) in Drumgold Street, Shaw’s Brow, Chester Street and the Bottleneck.

Jeweller Neil Dunwell, aged 64, who launched his business in Strand Street, nearly three years ago, said: ’I know footfall will be decreased because of this and I am very concerned that some businesses may not survive. It will be a close-run thing.’

The reintroduction of charges for car parking comes as the government has announced more disruption in the controversial promenade works. There will be a one-way system from Victoria Street through to Summer Hill from next Monday until the end of the school summer holidays.

And there will be associated closures at various times on side roads such as Church Road Marina, Broadway and Summer Hill.

Mr Dunwell, who has worked in the jewellery trade for many years, questioned whether people were going to have the patience to drive into town when they are faced with car park charges on top of more disruption on the promenade.

whammy

Taking the ’double whammy’ of prom works into account as well as the car park charges Mr Dunwell said: ’There is no encouragement to come to town.’

He said: ’The thing is that parking is very difficult anyway, there is now no free parking anywhere. Some towns in the UK are doing their best to help town centres by for example giving the first two hours parking for free. That seems fair enough to me and would be sensible here.’

Mr Dunwell said this is a ’critical time when we are all trying to get back on our feet. We are seeing fewer customers anyway because of social distancing and queueing.

’They should be encouraging people to come back into town shopping. I’m quite vexed about this.

’Footfall will be decreased and people will shop online without leaving their chair.

’I fear a lot of businesses won’t reopen or will soon close down because it is such a close-run thing for them.’

He added: ’Some of the car parks are archaic and sometimes it’s a battle to get into them.

’There are so many issues that make it hard work to come into town.

’And it’s not nice. Bringing back charges is only making retailers’ lives a lot more difficult.

’It is a kick in the teeth to the high street, definitely. All they are thinking of is recouping some money for the corporation.

’They would gain more money through helping the local economy if more people were attracted to come shopping.’

Self-employed taxi driver Dave Mackey told the Examiner he feels sorry for businesses in the capital and agreed the situation was bad for them after having to close during the Covid-19 crisis.

He said: ’Wake up Douglas Corporation! Business owners are struggling to pay your business rates and now you start to see the green shoots of recovery, you want to strangle the situation for all it’s worth.’

Dozens of people have made their feelings about the charges known on Facebook and they also include people returning to their workplace after weeks of working from home.

One finance company worker said: ’This is so unfair. The cost to go to work in Douglas is scandalous.’

Announcing the reintroduction of charges from yesterday (Monday), Douglas Town Centre Management, which is based in Church Street, Douglas said car parks had been free since March 23.

’This was done to ensure that key workers and anyone with businesses in the town centre could use the car parks freely.

’It was also to make it easier and safer for people coming in to get food and medicine etc from the essential shops that remained open throughout the lockdown period.’