EAST Hampshire District Council appears to be clamping down on lorries entering car parks in Alton's town centre. And it looks set to upset the apple cart for those vehicles which until now have enjoyed access to service landlocked businesses. Despite years of custom and practice, made necessary by the narrow, congested streets of the market town and the lack of suitable alternative parking facilities, there seems to be a move afoot to prohibit even the temporary parking of service vehicles, leaving some businesses wondering how they will receive goods in the future. Infuriated by what he feels to be the "inflexible" approach of EHDC's new parking and highways manager, Alton Town Initiatives (AIM) manager Vernon Pearce believes that the clamp-down could seriously affect local trade. He cites as an example the plight of the BW Long lorry which services the fruit and veg stall on the town's Tuesday market. According to Mr Pearce, over the past month the BW Long driver has received three tickets for parking in the Mount Pleasant car park, despite having done so for the past two years, since the market moved to the High Street. Prior to that the distinctive fruit and veg vehicle parked in Ladyplace car park, close to the BW Long stall in the Market Square. "The same lorry has also been fined for stopping in Bank car park while making a delivery to the rear of a shop in Market Street," said Mr Pearce, whose warning was to the point: "Business owners, such as those in Market Square whose suppliers use Ladyplace car park to make deliveries, are warned they will also be ticketed if caught." The Alton man is frustrated by the attitude of EHDC's recently appointed parking and highways manager, Ian Eyres, which, he said, appears to "fly in the face" of other East Hampshire officers and councillors who are "pulling out the stops" to try and help and support Alton in its bid to encourage people to trade in the town. "Mr Eyres is interpreting to the letter legislation which states that vehicles over 30 cwt are not allowed in the town's car parks, unless the premises they are visiting has a right of way across the car park. "While he is legally correct, there should be some room for flexibility to allow the businesses of the town to operate; the streets are often choked with parked cars and other delivery lorries and the only alternative is to attempt to unload at the rear of the shop, which means using the car parks," says Mr Pearce. Ian Eyres, however, stands by his decision to clamp down on lorry parking, confirming that EHDC's current car park order does indeed state that no lorries over 30 cwt should be parking in any of Alton's car parks other than at Victoria Road. This is marked out with red bays, for trade vehicles with Alton Market permits parking on market day (Tuesday). He told The Herald that the only way to change the order would be via an official request, put before cabinet. If councillors agreed to change the order it would be possible, he said, to mark out a Tuesday slot for a large vehicle in the Mount Pleasant car park, but it would be open for use by any lorry with an Alton Market permit and could not be reserved simply for BW Long. But, he added, in his opinion Mount Pleasant would not be the most appropriate parking venue for the fruit and veg truck as the goods had to be carried across Draymans Way. It would be better placed in the Turk Street or Ladyplace car park, he thought. In the meantime, according to Mr Pearce, B W Long, which has always paid for the two parking spaces their lorry takes up on a Tuesday, are now looking for an alternative - "preferably a local business which will allow them to park on their premises," said Mr Pearce.
