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What is the first reason given for people using out of town shopping?.....PARKING!.....if that's true how do we encourage town centre shopping?

Disgraceful. People should vote with their feet on this and just not go to Barnsley town centre - this will make the council sit up and take notice.

What is the BEST way to keep people away from tarn .. INCREASE parking charges... You morons

I personally prefer to go places like meadowhall. By the time I have finished driving around to find a space and then paying for parking, it doesn't cost me anything extra to go the few extra miles. Plus in weather like this, me and my daughter are not gonna get blown away or wet through in meadowhall.

So it will make more people use side streets on the outskirts of town centre as free car parks. I run a business on summer lane and myself, staff and customers struggle to park anywhere near because all the side streets are clogged up with people going into town and council staff from the Gateway Plaza using them as a free car park

This Labour council is killing the Barnsley town centre take a look around the town centre like we did on Saturday it's disgraceful shops boarded up all over May day green, More chippys that pubs. This is just another nail in the coffin of the famous "Market Town" of Barnsley.
To the coucil "GET YOUIR FINGER OUT" with the new market project why should we pay more to shop in fewer shops.
I am getting close to being ashamed of my home town that I have been so proud of all my life.

And if this rise is enough to deter sufficient shoppers from visiting town such that a couple more shops go out of business, the forecast increase in parking revenue might even offset the loss in business rates.

i park at morrissons 2 houres for £1 then you go in the shop buy something for a few quid like milk n bread and get yor £1 off the bill

Don t mind paying for parking if there were a decent variety of shops.

Can t we attract bigger stores to town? All the younger end need to be encouraged more to shop in barnsley instead of meadow hall!!!
And what was that really bad idea in the chronicle last week??? A Chinese themed arcade? Council, you get it so wrong.

If it is expected to generate 100.000 £ on a 10% rise how much does it generate on its whole car parking cost including fines and clamping and everything else that goes with car parking.....for parking a car that these very drivers are paying road tax to use. im surprised the councils dont have a tarrif for stopping at traffic lights

Oh yes! what a good idea! Put the chargers up for carparking then NO-ONE will come into town to shop!!!!!! We may as well go to Meadowhall!!!! Well done Barnsley council, what an intelligent idea!!!

i dont go to barnsley mutch cos its crap i go to waki or meadowhall still have to pay in waki but more shops to look round barnsley will be like a goast tawn be for long

I read all these negative comments, typical of many in Barnsley who can't see the bigger picture. Our council has had to work with a 17 million budget reduction, so increases like this may help preserve important services elsewhere or even a few jobs. Let's face it, what is it £1.20 an hour at the moment so an extra 12p or so?
If all you moaners care about Barnsley, start spending there instead of out of town such as Meadowhall. Once major retailers see the trend of an increase in footfall, they will want to invest in new stores in our town. Stay away from Barnsley and things won't improve. A bigger picture for instance, more retailers equals more council rates so the coffers build, maybe put the council into a place where parking charges can be reduced or removed.

yet again the bright sparks in barnsley council increase parking charges in town this will only drive more people to meadowhall its simple no charges for parking more shops more choice its a simple choice!!!!!!!! keep on doing this and they be no shops left in the town then how are you are going to generate money when its all been spent in meadowhall sheffield and other places. if you dont get it right you end up like comet, woolworths !!!!!!!

Barnsley town centre has been getting increasingly run down for the last decade. The choice and quality of shops has worsened. It is full of pubs and charity shops and the market is a dump. The toilet facilities have always been poor and the choice of eateries are poor. Meadowhall has free parking and is clean and warm and dry, Cortonwood is limited in shops but even with Barnsley's opposition, thriving. Barnsley needs new and better shops and a good clean plus less beggers before people will go there, never mind pay more to park there.

Barnsley town used to be a place to be proud of with the market and shops not anymore. Like someone said more chippys, pound shops , charity shops than owt .no decent shops for clothes or homeware or childrens wear nothing . Its a disgrace .it used to be so nice.i prefer to go to meadowhall or wakefield and u do have to pay for parking at wakefield but better shops.

To all those complaining about the parking charges... Why don't you get off your idle backsides, save the money you'd waste on petrol and walk or catch the bus?! I understand it's not suitable for larger families or for large shops, but I've never driven and don't intend to - using the bus is so much cheaper by comparision. I have done a week's shopping on my own, walked from the alhambra to the bus station and caught the bus, then walked a further 500yrds to where I lived, sure you feel like your arms are going to drop off by the time you get through the door, but it's cheaper.

As for the town having no decent shops, everyone complains about not having money but your all such snobs that you wouldn't dare to look in a charity shop or use primark or wilkos. There's nothing wrong with these shops, you're all just trying to look like more than you are.

You all need to start walking more and be happy with what you have, if you don't like your local shops why not move to Sheffield or Wakefield, see how much you like it then.

It is not about snobbery. You cannot get all your shopping from pound shops or charity shops, even if you wanted to. It may be cheap for you to catch the bus in to town but it would cost me about a tenner for my family and me to get there and I cant expect my youngest at 3 to walk the 8 miles in.
Loyalty is all very well but open your eyes and see it for what it is - a dump with a serious lack of facilities. For example baby changing or decent cafes that are not full of dirty smelly smoke covered people?

A lot of people above need to realise that no matter what the cost, you should be supporting your own town and not feed greedy Sheffield Meadowhall. Shopping local keeps business in the town and stop more Barnsley folk getting unemployed. Use your bloody brains... SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT THE TOWN.

Not trying to look more than we are just maybe we work hard for our money or lifestyle and wouldn't want to spend our money in charity shops does not make us snobs

@ Robert your argument is flawed. I am guessing that the few independent shops that are in Barnsley are not owned by locals. They may employ some staff true but usually on poor wages. All the other shops are big name brands such as Wilkos and Morrisons and they are just capitalist machines. Charity shops mainly run with volunteers.
How does shopping in Barnsley make the place better? The place itself is run down and the council seem to think that a market an loads of pubs makes it great. There are too many pubs and the market is also dirty and run down.

Come on Greenginger, get behind the town. One thing we know for sure, the less money spent in Barnsley the less attractive it becomes for others to open a shop here.

The more money spent in shops stimulates the local economy, creates employment and the result is others taking a punt and trying their luck.

Small steps......

I would happily pay for parking if there were a better selection of shops to go to. the council need to be attracting more businesses into the area not penalizing the loyal shoppers who do make an effort to shop local. to be honest the only shops worth visiting are the charity shops at the moment, given the choice of supporting charity or paying for over priced clothes I know where Id rather shop.

more investment is needed in the quality of shops, stores and eating places in order to attract people of all ages into the town centre. Rather than a fancy water feature by the town hall, funds could be re-directed to make the market, and centre a better place for us all to spend our money. I wouldnt mind the extra charge for parking if there were shops actually worth visiting. i dont think the meadow hall is being greedy, they have just got it right in terms of attracting people that shop? rather than those who are out for a pint or 10

it is not down to the shoppers to invest in barnsley, it is the local authority. they need to make more attractive deals to the traders/stores which in tern will attract shoppers, who wont mind paying the parking fees when they are able to purchase the goods the want. We need a range of shops not just high end and not just low end. A good all round selection will get people spending.

Simple reason why I no longer go in town is that places like meadowhall and York outlet don't have scruffs and druggies stood around shouting and swearing at each other on every other corner. The police stand there laughing and joking with them and are on 1st name terms with them. Some of the behaviour by these people is ridiculous and intimidating and nothing gets done about it.

I dont go to meadow hall or into town unless need mad mix or blackford sports,i find that there is very little that i cant get from stairfoot,tesco,b n m dunelm,pets at home b n q,so i do shop in barnsley and local,if i do banking i go to wombwell,its quick and convenient and free parking,i would pay parking if the town held more attraction for me,but it also saves time dragging the kids around town,i dont have the time anymore,working and bringing children up means convenience comes out top.

Agree with Sami,

I don't want my kid raising up thinking that being drunk, drugged up scrubbing round town is the norm, i'll take them somewhere clean and pleasant where they aren't going to feel intimidated. No incentive for me to shop in town, just as there is no reason for me to work in town either, there are no jobs in my sector in Barnsley so I work in a city nearby.

Town is scruffy, not maintained, run down and a product of years non-investment.

Barnsley offers nothing to outsiders, no incentive to come and shop or work here. All this in a location that is smack bang in the middle of the country on the M1 - 15 miles from two major cities. Labour BMBC in all their years in charge have never grasped this. I know for a fact that the guy that was responsible for Meadowhall approached BMBC first before sheffield and they weren't interested. Barnsley was also in the running for the Xscape center that opened in castleford - they messed up again. We could have all the nice independant shops in the world but if the settings not right it doesn't make a difference. We all know where the finger should be pointed, consumers are fickle things, we need some business adumen at BMBC

Years ago when I was a kid, most people didn't have cars and we used the bus wherever we went, bus fares were cheap (7p, ano bout inflation an all that) we had no choice but to use them, Nowadays almost everyone has a car and won't go anywhere without them, and if they can't park directly outside they just won't go,(myself included) I am a big supporter of Barnsley town centre and go at least once a week, what a dump its become, I refuse to pay for parking and I refuse to pay extortionate bus fares ( £2.20) if they want me to pay for something I want to feel its been worth the expense and its just not, I hate meadowhell and prefer to support local businesses but we're getting nothing back for our support, so c'mon barnsley council do something for us and get the community spirit back into barnsley, make us enjoy our shopping experience, then we won't mind paying extra for parking.