A DECISION by bankruptcy-threatened Somerset Council to no longer allow free pre-Christmas use of car parks was this week criticised by MP Ian Liddell-Grainger.

He said the move could have a damaging effect on seasonal trade in dozens of high street businesses.

Previously, Somerset’s district councils suspended car park charges on Saturdays in December as a way of encouraging shoppers into towns and villages.

But Somerset Council, which has warned it could face bankruptcy by February, said it needed every last penny of revenue and it could not afford to continue the tradition.

Mr Liddell-Grainger, who represents West Somerset and will be the Conservative candidate for the new Tiverton and Minehead constituency taking in much of the area around Wellington, said many families would be disappointed at the withdrawal of the seasonal parking amnesty.

He said: “But while I fully understand the reasons, I cannot see that the loss of income would be all that significant in terms of the council’s overall budget.

“My real concerns are over the potentially damaging effect this will have on shops.

“Many high street businesses are still struggling to get properly back on their feet after the problems they suffered as a result of the Covid lockdowns.

“There is no doubt hundreds of them have lost customers permanently as a result of people having switched to online shopping during the pandemic.

“It has been an uphill struggle for many of them to win back lost trade and they are depending on the Christmas income to help them meet their overheads, ncluding business rates, of course.

“I believe this is a very short-sighted gesture on the council’s part at a time when high street trading remains so fragile.”

In Wellington, the town council has instead agreed to meet the cost of free parking in its three public car parks.

It will pay about £1,000 per Saturday to the unitary authority to cover the otherwise lost income.

The town council had already made parking free on the day of its Christmas lights switch-on and High Street market at the end of November, meaning this year shoppers will not have paid on five Saturdays of the festive season.

Former Wellington Mayor Cllr Janet Lloyd said the town council was supporting local traders and encouraging as many people as possible to use the town centre despite the Scrooge-like decision of the unitary authority.