Threatened Parking Spaces 'Generate £15,000 a Day' for Local Retailers


Councillor claims her survey show they must be retained

The car park in central Chiswick
The car park in central Chiswick

February 27, 2023

A local councillor is claiming that a survey of shoppers she carried out recently shows that a proposed removal of parking spaces in central Chiswick would have a significantly negative impact on local retailers.

Joanna Biddolph, who represents Chiswick Gunnersbury ward, in which the car park by Old Market Place is situated, interviewed people parking between 1.50pm and 3.50pm on Saturday 11 February which was a relatively quiet day during the half term.

She says she was prompted to undertake the survey after requesting unsuccessfully for Hounslow Council to carry out an assessment of a proposal to reduce the number of parking spaces in the car park by 14. There are currently 50 spaces.

She spoke to 46 drivers who were parking in the central car park in the two hour period, ten declined to be interviewed.. Fewer than 10 had come from Chiswick with some travelling from outside London to visit the area.

Based on what they told her about their spending she calculated that the average spend with local retailers was £268 per car, with visitors bringing in revenue ranging from £1.50 to £6,500 buying a variety of products from stationery to kitchen equipment.

According to Cllr Biddolph’s calculation, the loss of the parking spaces would mean a minimum daily loss of £15,000 a day for the local economy at a time when local businesses are already struggling. She says her numbers are an underestimate because there was a parking attendants strike on the day she carried out the survey meaning that spaces were taken up for longer than they would have been normally. The result was a lower turnover of spaces and, therefore, a lower spend per hour.

Cllr Biddolph said, “From just two hours on a quiet Saturday, it is clear how important to the local economy these parking spaces are – because our shopping choice is exceptional.

“Traders who I have told about the potential loss of 14 spaces are horrified and extremely critical of the council for considering yet another anti-business policy. Losing these spaces would mean losing a massive £15,008 a day minimum. It is incumbent on all councillors and officers to incentivise traders and their customers to do business in Chiswick, not drive them away from our town by not enabling driving and parking in our town.”

It is currently the council’s policy to try and replace parking spaces in town centres where possible.

Previous surveys carried out by councils to justify parking restrictions or increases in parking charges have often claimed to show that retailers overestimate the revenue that the ability of customers to park brings to their business.

Details of the comments made by people surveyed appear below

WHO?

HOW MUCH?

ON WHAT?

FROM WHERE?

HOW OFTEN?

WHY DRIVE?

Woman

£6,580

Kitchen appliances, food shopping, stationery

Isleworth

 

 

Father and two adult children

£1,500

Antique desk, butcher, fishmonger, greengrocer, ice cream

Ealing

Fortnightly

“We come because of the car park, if there wasn’t a car park we wouldn’t come.”

Man

£435

Food shopping in independents, lunch for three

Shepherd’s Bush

 

 

Woman

£340

Lunch for eight friends

Kew

 

Special occasion

Husband and wife

£265

Hairdresser, food shopping

Colindale

At least once a month.

Dropping off wife while husband (formerly of Chiswick) met friends.

Mother and daughter

£200

Lighting from an independent shop

Ealing

 

To support local shops; will be back later for the cinema.

Woman

£200

Food shopping, presents

Twickenham

 

 

Three female friends

£200

Lunch

Ealing, gave lift to her two friends from Chiswick

 

 

Couple

£200

Butcher, fishmonger, food shopping, nails, books

Ravenscourt Park

Frequently as children are at school in Chiswick, husband works in Chiswick, they spend most of their time in Chiswick.

On the way to/from children’s activities.

Man

£200

Food shopping

East Sheen

 

Easiest.

Woman

£148

Food shopping

 

 

Has a disability so needs to park close to central shops

Man

£140

Food shopping

Brentford

 

 

Husband and wife

£126

Food shopping, books

Shepherd’s Bush

 

Too heavy to carry. This is our go-to location.

Man

£120

Contact lenses

 

 

Has disabled son so needs to park.

Woman

£110

Food shopping, homeware

Ealing

 

 

Man

£100

Food shopping

Sandhurst

Daily

Works in Chiswick.

Husband and wife

£100

Food, clothes, alterations

Chiswick

 

 

Woman

£100

Food shopping, health foods

Hammersmith

 

 

Woman

£100

 

Chiswick

 

 

Man

£82

Food from five shops

Ealing

 

 

Woman

£80

Healthcare, lunch, supermarket

Wembley

 

 

Father

£80

 

Chiswick

 

To/from multiple activities for his children.

Three female friends

£80

Lunch

Chiswick, Ealing, Heathrow

 

 

Two women

£80

Lunch with her sister, food shopping

Epsom, Queen’s Park.

 

Makes it possible. Two hours’ parking is not enough.

Mother and son

£70

Haircut, butcher, coffee

Hammersmith

 

 

Mother and son

£65

Barber and lunch

Buckinghamshire, Brook Green

 

Best route from the west.

Couple

£60

Health food, tea, photos

Ealing

 

 

Woman

£60

Nails, dry cleaning, alterations

Chiswick

Every Saturday

Tries not to drive but works full time in east London, has two children with many Saturday activities to fit in.

Woman

£60

 

Greenford

 

 

Man and woman

£57

Wine

Acton

 

On way to supermarket then health food store.

Woman

£57

Food shopping

Chiswick

 

 

Two women

£50

Lunch

Chiswick

 

 

Husband and wife

£43.80

Laundry drop off, lunch, bank for cash

Kew

 

 

Father and daughter

£40

Brunch

Camberley

Once a week for coffee then lunch

Take daughter to/from football.

Woman

£33

Lunch with three friends

Henley

 

Sensible route from the west.

Father and son

£30

Treat son to a pizza

Isleworth

 

 

Woman

£30

Skin care treatment

Kew

 

 

Man

£25

Food shopping, coffee in a café

Ashford, near Heathrow

Several times a month; loves the cinema

Easier by car.

Woman

£22

Browse antiques, supermarket shopping, greetings cards

Marylebone

 

 

Man

£20

Lunch

Hillingdon

Daily

Works at Chiswick supermarket.

Man

£15

 

Hammersmith

 

 

Mother and son

£10

Meeting son who lives in Chiswick, haircut for son

Dorking

 

Best route.

Woman

£6.50

 

Osterley

 

 

Man

£4.60

Lunch

East Acton

 

Faster.

Woman

£3

Greetings card

Chiswick

 

Faster.

Mother and daughter

£1.50

Present for sick child in hospital

Outside Chiswick

 

Quick stop on the way to hospital.

TOTAL

£12,329

£268 per car based on 46 cars over two hours

POTENTIAL ADDITIONAL SPENDING FROM DRIVERS WHO DID NOT STOP TO BE INTERVIEWED

Ten drivers

£2,680

 

Ten drivers based on £268 per car

TOTAL

 £15,009

£268 per car based on 56 cars parked for two hours

POTENTIAL TOTAL PER DAY IF THE TEN DRIVERS HAD STOPPED

TOTAL

£53,600

Based on 56 spaces turning over every two hours at £268 per car

 

TOTAL PER DAY LOST TO THE LOCAL ECONOMY IF 14 SPACES ARE REMOVED

TOTAL

£15,008

Lost per day if 14 spaces are removed (£268 per space x 14 x 4)

 


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