| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:The long slow decline of Devonshire Road | |
| Posted by: | Jeremy Parkinson | |
| Date/Time: | 26/07/23 07:12:00 |
| The hypothesis here is that business people always overestimate the importance of the availability of car parking to their turnover. The evidence to support this is various studies that seem to indicate this is the case. However, most of this research seems to have been specifically commissioned to support a policy choice or the broader aim of increasing active travel. By the same token I have seen a consultant's report providing an impressive array of evidence why a shopping centre development needs to have the largest car park possible based on the average spend of customers who drive being significantly larger. It therefore seems to me that, even if there is a tendency of businesses to over-estimate the value of parking, the ability to park easily still has a material impact. As has previously been mentioned, the research that suggests otherwise may have been misled by a misunderstanding of the difference between turnover and profit because of the lack of business knowledge of the researchers. Whatever the actual position there is no basis here to say - we can remove parking without consequences on local businesses so let's implement a policy of doing so. It would appear this is a view shared by Hounslow Council who have striven to replace lost parking spaces due to C9. The borough planners seem to acknowledge the value of parking space and I would assume that is based on research and good professional practice. Much as Tom would like to discount the evidential value of what local businesses say, the research available is not sufficiently robust to allow him to do that so their views still need to be taken into account. Parking availability will help some more than others, for instance I recently saw someone loading a car with a bulk order of dog food from Chiswick Pets, something that would have been impractical if parking wasn't available. It would be interesting to hear more from businesses based there but to me the obvious problem at the moment is the way the access restrictions operate. There is no enforcement so local traffic continues to drive through as it always did but potential customers are discouraged by the forbidding and confusing access signs. There is no benefit to anyone from the current arrangements and some very clear disbenefits. Scrapping them would be a quick win in my view but ultimately the decision should be driven by the businesses on Devonshire Road. |