| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Reply | |
| Posted by: | Francis Rowe | |
| Date/Time: | 11/12/24 07:59:00 |
| There is a substantial body of research that shows that business owners don't have the slightest idea about what they are talking about with regard to the proportion of their customers who arrive by car. Unfortunately, this has almost universally been commissioned by local authorities who want to close car parks or introduce money-spinning parking restrictions in town centres. It has led to a dangerous belief among some parts of the public sector that making parking more difficult is all gain no pain. It is obvious nonsense for council officials to conclude that business owners don't understand their business based on surveys designed to give pre-determined answers. Most notably they never seem to have the slightest idea of how profit and loss works in a business with high fixed costs. On a tight margin, a 5% drop in revenue can wipe out a surplus, so even if customers parking to shop with you are a relatively small proportion of your overall business, any reduction in their numbers could be critical. Thankfully, whatever their detractors might say, Hounslow Council up to now have sought to maintain the number of parking spaces in the centre of Chiswick and haven't been infected by the anti-car dogmatism. However, a major problem looms for Chiswick with the closure of its largest free car park when the Sainsbury's development begins. |