Council accused of 'another nail in the coffin' of town centre retailers - and other top business stories from Hampshire and Dorset

Should councils provide free parking in urban centres ahead of Christmas?

There's no doubt that we all need to try and reduce our dependence on cars, but this perk is one that's welcomed by bricks-and-mortar retailers in areas where it's become a tradition.

And at a time when those retailers are facing soaring costs, and customers are tightening the purse strings, withdrawing free parking is not going to be a popular move.

So, when BCP Council - which is facing a pretty troubling financial situation - announced it would not be providing free seasonal parking, the reaction was loud and angry.

All four of the conurbation's business improvement districts, which tend to work pretty constructively with the council, condemned the decision. One chief executive accused the council of driving "another nail in the coffin" for retailers, while a host of traders chimed in with their criticisms. The boss of Beales, meanwhile, pledged to give customers two hours' free parking on the dates when the council would have.

Is free parking an important incentive to shop in your own town or city centre ahead of Christmas? I'd be interested in your comments.

Meanwhile, here's what councils in Hampshire do.

Other top stories this week

• Dorset Chamber has launched a big consultation with industry and education to establish what skills gaps are holding businesses back, as part of developing a Local Skills Improvement Plan.
• Members of the GMB union at Fawley Refinery are set to strike. (Story by Chris Yandell.) Meanwhile, a strike at Southampton Airport has been called off following pay talks. (Story by Timothy Edgley.)
• The company that owns Southampton Airport has named its next chief executive.
• The recent string of independent business closures continues. In Ringwood, a discount home store is shutting after more than half a century of trading (story by Andrew Goldman), while a coffee shop at Wimborne's Walford Mill is also shutting (story by Jason Lewis) and a flight school at Bournemouth Airport has stopped trading (story by Matt Simpson).
• There was better news for a vegan restaurant in Bournemouth, which has resumed seven-days-a-week trading (story by Andrew Goldman), while a pub in Shirley has reopened after an ￡80,000 refurbishment (story by Hannah de Boltz).
• An effort to get people back onto Hampshire's Watercress Railway for a festive event after Covid lockdowns has earned a top award.
• A former Samsung executive has launched a business in Bournemouth which uses wearable devices and DNA sequencing to analyse chronic pain and produce personalised health programmes.
• A waste management firm in Hampshire has been named one of the UK's top female-led businesses.
• A storage company is supporting Dorset's Lewis-Manning Hospice Charity by giving it free space.
• The former Loch Fyne restaurant in Poole's Canford Cliffs is ready to welcome visitors under a new brand name. (Story by Andrew Goldman.)
• A maker of Indian sauces and condiments has been picked as one of the UK's 100 most inspiring small businesses.
• The latest of our advice articles from NatWest, aimed at helping SMEs through the cost of living crisis, offered some tips on avoiding common scams.
• And if you happen to be watching Channel 5's Milkshake! strand of children's programmes tomorrow morning, you'll see an animated series made in Bournemouth. Pop Paper City is a production by LoveLove Films and was made locally by around 60 people.

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