Traders’ shock at Barrow taxi plan
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TRADERS are “gobsmacked” about plans to put taxi ranks in two busy shopping streets.
Damian Roberts, from Kates Skates in Dalkeith Street, Barrow, contacted the Evening Mail after reading about Cumbria County Councils proposal to put a rank in neighbouring Cavendish Street.
He and other Dalkeith Street traders have been told they too could get an all-day taxi rank.
The store manager described the plans as “bizarre” and said: “I am a bit gobsmacked at the proposal to stop public parking in two streets.
“When I spoke to the council, they never mentioned Cavendish Street becoming a rank. We get a lot of customers coming in from out of town. If they have nowhere to park across the road, they’ve got to go elsewhere, and now I hear Cavendish Street is going to have a taxi rank as well, I really don’t know where.”
The proposed Dalkeith Street rank would be located outside the Nines club, a space currently used for taxis between 6pm and 8am, and one-hour parking during the day.
Mr Roberts added: “There’s room for seven or eight cars out here, so if you look at parking over 10 hours, that’s 80 customers parking. It’s just a great inconvenience for people. The council is trying to get people into the town and shopping, and they’re taking away basic things like parking. It’s ridiculous.”
Mr Roberts plans to submit a letter of complaint to the council with Vaughn Phelps, owner of Dalkeith Street’s R and T Music. Mr Phelps said: “I wouldn’t say I’m unhappy, I’m confused. I understand it makes sense it being a taxi rank at night, being next to a club, but I would have thought during the day you would want to leave it free for prospective customers to the town. With another one opening around the corner, it seems strange to take away customer parking.”
Chairman of Barrow Traders’ Association, Yvonne Athersmith, said: “We don’t think the areas proposed are appropriate because of the lack of lighting and CCTV, as unfortunately there is often anti-social behaviour around ranks. We’ve come up with proposals for better locations which we gave to the right people to take away and think about.”
A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said: “Before the proposals could be given the go ahead, they need to go through the local committee process and be considered by the county council’s Local Committee for Barrow.
“The proposals will most likely go to committee in November or January.”
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