Bolton business owner of Premier Bed Stores blames poor parking for lack of business

He also criticised parking enforcement in the area.

Bolton Council demolished the Central Street carpark last year in order to make way for more than 150 town centre homes and green space as part of the Croal Valley intervention.

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This has  left the amount of convenient parking somewhat sparse, and is a contributing factor to a decline in footfall for businesses in the town centre, according to Premier Bed Stores owner Julian Holt.

He said: “They closed the Central Street carpark at a week's notice when we were told we’d get three months to notify our customers. They just put a sign up and closed it.

Julian Holt

“It was a very popular car park, right in the centre of town.

“For elderly customers now, which we get a lot of, there’s no parking at all.”

Mr Holt has been managing the business on Central Street for nearly 30 years. Having navigated the business through the tough times of the pandemic, now that shops are fully open, he has found the  parking offering a new obstacle to overcome.

He is also unimpressed with the enforcement of the parking rules describing the 'wardens' as being over zealous. Mr Holt pointed to enforcement officers targeting a supplier who was off-loading some samples - and was parked in a loading bay. He said they threatened to book him.

He said: “If you just stop to get your bearings the traffic wardens are on you like locusts. Its horrific. You get no breathing space at all.

“I know they’re doing a job but it’s absolutely ridiculous. These guys are just frightening shoppers from coming to Bolton.”

Mr Holt estimated that since the closure of the carpark he has received less than 50 per cent of what would be considered “normal business.”

He added: “The council used to do two hours free parking in the town centre. It was attracting people because it wasn’t a nightmare for people to park, but they scrapped it.

“Shoppers now will go to Middlebrook or the Trafford Centre because they know they can just leave their car.”

Martyn Cox, Leader of Bolton Council said: “We’re concerned about the issues that Mr Holt has raised.

“We have organised to meet with Mr Holt to discuss these issues and are hoping to find a solution.”