Inverurie parking charges 'driving visitors away', businesses warn

New parking charges introduced in Inverurie have left businesses fearing for the future.

For years, Inverurie has defied the trend of struggling towns and city centres, boasting a more than 98% shop occupancy rate, with only three units remaining vacant.

A 160-space section of the Burn Lane Car Park was key to the town’s popularity, with free parking on offer all day.

But in January, Aberdeenshire Council voted to introduce charges.

Although the fees are only nominal, local business owners are concerned about the impact on footfall and overall trade.

Mike Stuart owns a whisky shop in the town. STV News

Mike Stuart, who owns the nearby Inverurie Whisky Shop, said: “It’s given people from outwith the town an excuse not to come in.

“We had such a good buzz about Christmas at the end of the year, and there was so much good coverage about Inverurie, which is bucking the trend in most respects.

“One bad news story seems to have hit the town pretty hard with changes to that free parking. A lot of people now look at it and think ‘we’ll stay in our own place’ or ‘we just won’t bother travelling’.”

Kim Curson, who owns a local art gallery, added: “We are a town full of independent family-run businesses who pride themselves on their customer service, and we are all about welcoming people into the town.

“For me, it’s all about making it easy. What these measures are doing is unwelcoming and driving people away and I think it reflects on the reputation of the town as a whole. It’s really sad.”

In response to the parking charges, a petition launched by the Business Improvement District (BID), We Are Inverurie, has gained significant traction.

The petition, which calls for the reversal of the parking charges, has been signed by more than 1,400 people.

BID manager Derek Ritchie says the response has been “overwhelming.”

“People are seeing the car park is not being used now,” he said. “It’s not taking in the revenue the council expected it to take in.

“And the people who work in the businesses, they need somewhere to park during the day, and it would cost them £30 a week to park here five days a week, and it’s not affordable for some people.”

A spokesperson from Aberdeenshire Council said: “Tariffs continue to play a vital role in the administration of parking, not only in Inverurie, but across all the region’s town centres. They also help provide turnover of parking availability making it easier for people to visit a town, shop in our businesses and spend locally.

“While there are no current plans to review the recent decision to implement charges, the potential for permits – for workers and other classifications of users – was something which was raised during the debate on removal of free spaces. This will be considered as part of a forthcoming wider review of parking management across Aberdeenshire.”