BOLTON Council is to have a major rethink about car parking in Bolton town centre.

The aim is for the town to be a position to compete with the Trafford Centre shopping city at Dumplington which is due to open at Christmas 1998.

But there are no plans for free car parking.

Priority would, however, be given to shoppers over office workers in the heart of the town centre.

For example, one idea being put forward is that the Bow Street multi-storey and the All Saints Street car park should become short-stay car parks, with higher charges for all day parking.

Instead, cheaper all-day parking would be offered on the outer edge of the town centre. It is being suggested that anyone who chooses to use a short-stay car park all day should be charged around £5.

A policy document was due to be presented to planning and environment committee councillors later today.

But members of the public will be invited to send their views to the council before any decisions are taken.

Only recently, Bolton and Bury Chamber of Commerce carried out a survey after claims that the council's parking policies were driving shoppers away. Fabric shop owner Phil Jones, who led the campaign, claimed Bolton town centre would soon be full of boarded up shops unless urgent action was taken to attract car owners back.

The council report, however, argues against free parking, saying that it would result in fewer spaces being available and all-day parkers taking up spaces needed for shoppers.

It also claims that free parking would "undermine bus services required for people who do not have a car".

The council is also to set up more park and ride schemes to encourage people to leave their cars out of the town centre.

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