Shoppers could be driven away from Macleod Shopping Village with parking meter changes

A QUAINT suburban shopping strip could be turned into a ghost town if council line the streets with paid parking meters, traders have warned.

A QUAINT suburban shopping strip could be turned into a ghost town if council line the streets with paid parking meters, traders have warned.

Business owners fear the move would kill business at the Macleod Shopping Village if shoppers were forced to pay for parking.

The Macleod Traders’ Association was due to meet council officers today (Tuesday) to oppose the plan, while the Sustainable Macleod group has started a petition against it.

It is part of a move to put 290 paid parking meters for a maximum of $3 per day around train stations throughout Banyule, which has already been condemned by residents in Ivanhoe and other areas.

Banyule United Residents’ Group spokeswoman, Sonja Terpstra, said it was a “cash grab” to add to the council’s annual $1.2 million parking meter fee coffers to offset debts but not improve services.

The meters would not deter commuters who would move to unmetered residential streets, she said.

RELATED: Banyule Council’s parking meter move around train stations slammed

Banyule Mayor Mark Di Pasquale said the proposal for paid parking resulted from the council “receiving several concerns over time about the lack of parking around the Macleod shops and train station including heavy use of all day parking areas by commuters”.

“Parking inspections revealed that these areas are usually fully occupied most of the day,” he said.

“As these areas are unrestricted and close to an activity centre or railway station, commuters and visitors are unable to find parking in reasonable distances from their destinations.”

However, Macleod Village Shopping Centre spokeswoman Heidi Crundwell said the plan

could make residents think twice about shopping locally.

“If it costs say $3 to park in Macleod they might think about going to Northland for

free, all-day parking,” she said.

Sustainable Macleod spokeswoman, Robin Gale-Baker, accused council of revenue

raising and said it discouraged commuters from driving to the station and using

public transport.

Macleod Traders’ Association president Marcus Boyden said the parking

meters could send shoppers to other centres with free parking.

The petition against Macleod’s planned parking meters is at cafe Aberdeen and Mr Macleod cafe.

The council will consult traders and affected residents about the proposal next month and feedback will be presented in a report to a council meeting before the installation goes ahead. Feedback received before August will be presented in the report.

Anyone wanting to have a say should email [e-mail]

THE PROPOSAL

33 spaces on Somers Avenue (east side), between Melrose Avenue and May Street

24 spaces on McNamara Street, in front of non-residential properties, between Cherry Street and Dunstan Street

21 spaces on Aberdeen Road (west side), between Erskine Road and Carwarp Street

6 spaces on Erskine Road (south side), between Birdwood Avenue and Aberdeen Road (consistent with existing hours of operation of parking restrictions in the area.

21 spaces on Birdwood Avenue, between May Street and Erskine Road