Tom, this thread is a great example of how you hold on to 'data' over real world experience and local knowledge. Especially when there are very basic issues around causality, plus you choose to layer on massive assumptions that simply reflect your own biases.First for context. Altrincham town centre is very retail and historically light industry focused, there is very limited central residential, though this has begun to change with some limited new developments. The immediate suburbs that feed the town are very low rise and spread out, and in some cases very hilly, with close to zero public transport. Then you have the rural hinterland which is even more spread out. With bus routes either gone or a couple of times a day, many people have always driven. Very few people cycle, and there is not an inch of cycle lane.To answer your specfic points:1) 'provision of parking associated with the superstores around Altrincham's centre was associated with its decline, not its resurgence.'Absolutely wrong on so many accounts. Numerous factors drove it, mainly though the Trafford Centre. There has always been lots of parking lcoally, including a multistoery right next to the precint and lots of on street parkimg. LOcal people were very unappy with the price of parking, hence the BID specially called out the need to address the 'perception' that parking was expensive.You will not find the provision of parking or the 2 'new' supermarket stores (which largely predated the high vancancy rates) called out anywhere as a negative, not once, by the BID or the advisers or the council. Rather, the issue was gettign people into the town centre and then to stay there. Stores likes Sainsburys are almost entirely food and beverage, with no overlap with the types of stores historically in the town centre. It was made easire to walk from many of the car parks to the precinct. And to be clear, many of these sites were car parks before they were developed. As you do not know anythign about the area, there are numerous big out of town developments in a 30 minute drive, including one of the largest John Lewis stores, all with free parking. That is what the twon competes withThe main cause of the demise was the opening of the Trafford centre, a hugely successful venture with FREE parking and improving (though not great) transport. This also led to some large anchor tenants leaving the precint as they struggled to compete. Plus the old precint design meant many of the shops were small, and retailers wanted more floor space. Hence the rebuild of a number of shop units.2) 'In 2016, before the hike, vacancies had already halved from a high of 28% in 2011 to 14%'. Yes, and the initial strategy clearly stated the need to provide plenty of on street parking, and the issue of the cost of parking was also widely debated and so prices were cut from 2010 onwards.3) ' In 2017, with the parking hike they dropped further to 9%'Tom, do you understand causality. Also, how long do you think it takes to negotiate and agree a commercial lease? Its many months, and not done at the whim of whether parking prices have gone up in the last couple of months. There was a very clear and vocal campaign in any case to reverse, which soon proved successful. This would be well know by those looking at local sites. 4) 'There's a very good reason why discouraging rather than encouraging parking might benefit the high street. If people feel less inclined to get into a car, they are will be more inclined to shop locally'So you keep saying, but you provide NO evidence. in Altrincham, no effort was made to discourage parking, NONE. IN fact that opposite, and the regeneration strategy called out the clear need for maps to guide people to parking. Once there, efforts were made to encourage them to get to and then stay in the town centre. Its likely that 90% plus of people get there by car, because there are few other options. I am all in favour of public transport, and the tram is good but not cheap. It also connects with other town centres on route to central Manchester, such as Sale and Stretford, as well as connections to the Trafford Centre. So it takes people away as much as deliver them, and only serve locations to the north. The main hinterland for Altrincham to the south, west and east is not served at all.5) 'Overall there's no evidence, whatever the BID might have felt, the cut in parking charges had a significant positive effect on retail in Altrincham.'Here we have it, Tom knows best, not the local BID that deliered this show case for town centre regeneation with the full support of the council and local residents. No, they must be mistaken, because Tom's limited data doesnt tell him something. So please demonstrate how active travel contributed. ALso, the provision of more than adequate parking at reasonable prices was central. Maybe ask the BID for a response?Tom, do you know what you are arguing for? Have a look at streetmaps for the area and see how busy all the car parks and on street parking is. Or maybe speak to local people and retailers. People drive a lot outside London, drop your middle class metropolitan bias. Hopefully with the announcement that the crazy privatisation of bus routes in being reversed in Greater Manchester, we might get a usable bus networl and get some people out of cars. But they wont be getting on bikes, no matter how much you might wish they did.I am 100% in favour of public transport. Please can you and your cycling chums start supporting it. Step free access at TGT tube and bus lanes please. Lets go!!!!
Paul Green ● 2035d