A leading business group has called on local councils in Lancashire to scrap car parking charges.
The Forum of Private Business, a North West-based lobbying group, said Town Hall officials needed to consider including reductions as they put together their business plans for the coming year.
In Preston, the city’s council is expected to publish the findings of a consultants’ report into its parking charges ahead of its budget in February.
Alex Jackman, head of policy at the body, said the move was “one of the most business-friendly concessions” any local council could make.
He said: “High streets across the country are under threat and have been for many years now from the likes of out-of-town shopping centres where parking is universally free and then there’s the internet
“It doesn’t take a genius to work out that councils charging people ever more for the privilege of coming in to their town centres to spend their hard earned cash is not the best plan to grow footfall.
“Against spiralling motoring costs, it’s a recipe for disaster.”
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