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| Stone Formation Archive 1995 |
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 Stone Formations news, views, gallery and archive brought to you by Weird Wiltshire Introduction Latest News News Archive Stonehenge Stonehenge Project Stonehenge 360 Avebury Saviours Stones Village Solstice Wayland Smithy Long Barrow Woodhenge Gallery Summer Solstice Gallery 2002 Summer Solstice Gallery 2004 Postcards Wallpaper Links  |
First published on June 8, 1995 WORRIED residents fear Avebury's historic tourist spot could be blighted by traffic chaos because Wiltshire County Council is facing a massive rent increase for the village's car park. The car park's owner, the National Trust, wants to make more money to help pay for the upkeep of the historic site and is considering raising the council's rent to anything up to £20,000 a year. Now the county must decide if it wants to give up the lease of the car park, which is currently free to tourists, and let the National Trust begin charging. Residents fear that charging for parking would prompt tourists to begin leaving their cars at the roadside, or using pub car parks in the village. Peter Denton, the county's countryside officer, said: "The car parking charge issue is very controversial. We told our members in January that it was very likely the National Trust would want to introduce a rent review." The committee's net annual budget for the site is £3,000 and faced with a rent charge of £20,000, members would have little choice but to release the lease or introduce their own car parking scheme. "There has been some discussion with NT agents but there could well be arbitration," said Mr Denton. Ewart Holmes, of the Avebury Society and a member of an Avebury World Heritage Working Party sub-committee said: "If you charge for the car park, a lot of people will try and park on the verges. "Car park charging must be part of a total strategy for the area and it must be properly seen through. It is my view that the time has come that we have to guide the way people move around the area." John Cronk, chairman of Avebury Parish Council said: "It has always been our concern that charging for car parking might encourage people to park on the carriageway. "It has been our experience in the past that there have always been a certain number of people who park on the verges." Dick Stannard, owner of Avebury Post Office Stores, said: "I do not think it will make much difference to my business. "The problem, as far as the village is concerned, is that local tourists will park on the High Street and this will cause congestion. "The NT have got to get some revenue from it, but it will cause chaos." Pat McCann, manager of the Red Lion pub in Avebury, which has its own car park, said: "If they do start charging, then they will use my car park , and then I will be very cross. "People will not pay, but will think 'there's a pub car park, we'll put the car in there'. "It is a disservice to the tourists because there is nowhere else for them to go." David Ridell, of the National Trust, said: "The trust has always said it would like to reserve the right to charge for parking. "There is no prospect of making a charge to enter the circle, but we have a duty to maximise the car park. we cannot avoid this rent review. "We do not want to put pressure on the county councillors. We would very much like to improve the presentation of the car park. We feel the whole thing could do with a facelift for the 90s. "The county's planning and environment committee was discussing the issue as the Gazette went to press yesterday. Back to 1995 index |
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