Trowbridge Parking Debate Continues Over Enforcement and Business Impact

Okay, so parking is a hot topic locally. Several council members are talking about it and see parking issues hurting businesses downtown. They want stricter rules enforced, too.

In January, a council leader, Stewart Palmen, spoke up. He said illegal parking remains a big problem and wants more fines to discourage it. Fore Street seems particularly bad.

People shared that delivery drivers park illegally. They park on double yellow lines and sidewalks sometimes, letting them deliver things to businesses. One person saw cracked pavement downtown.

Also, one person saw delivery drivers walking far between parking spots and Wicker Hill addresses. Wiltshire Council says delivery parking hasn’t changed, not even after town renovations.

Councilor Nick Holder confirmed the number of loading bays is the same. Restrictions did change on some double yellow lines though, helping traffic flow better. They enforce loading bay rules statewide, which keeps them open for deliveries.

In February, another council member, Edward Kirk, mentioned the issue. He stated that parking hurts businesses a lot, and Church Walk is ruined, as well. One business even left due to parking issues.

Kirk mentioned that loading bays should be for loading only, but instead, people use them for shopping trips. Holder responded that they enforce loading bay rules strongly. They haven’t heard complaints from Trowbridge businesses lately, and free parking comes from town councils, not Wiltshire Council.