Fearing that the car parking facilities and fees in Ross are putting visitors off shopping in the town, the Association of Ross Traders (ART) has developed a comprehensive proposal for ‘zoned’ parking in Ross, which addresses many of the issues raised by users of town centre car parks, and plans to propose viable alternatives to Hereford Council, ahead of its forthcoming review and proposed increase in charges for parking in Ross.

At a meeting on August 4th, hosted by ART, and open to all town centre traders, the proposal was unanimously supported. Their proposal addresses the many contentious issues surrounding parking in Ross, including the need to pay until 10pm, restricted residents parking, the high number of penalty charge notices issued in car parks in Ross, poor signage, the limitations of ’pay and display’ which puts a deadline on visitors’ shopping time, the number of under-used and redundant car parks, and the confusing charging regimes across the different car parks.

Other areas for improvements were also discussed and supported, including better definition of loading bays, enhanced signage for disabled bays and extended on-street free parking from half hour to one hour.

This comprehensive review of car parks in Ross, which includes only charging between 8am and 4pm, a reduction to ‘all-day’ charges for the peripheral car parks and free parking at Homs Road to assist those who work in the town, it aims to make the town an even more attractive place, not only to work or visit but also to live, meeting the needs of the residents, visitors, and the Council’s budget targets. ART have presented the proposal to Ross Town Council’s Planning Committee and hope for their support in advance of presenting to the County Council.

Anyone with views on parking in the town is invited to send their comments to ART. Please email: [email protected]