Positive Parking closed me down TRADER Malcolm Allen has positive proof that Positive Parking killed his business after plotting his shop's decline on a graph on his computer.

He says his takings from his model shop Strictly Models have plummeted by more than half since the controversial Parking scheme was introduced to High Wycombe two years ago.

Mr Allen, who has multiple sclerosis, set up his business in Desborough Road six years ago. He decided to call it a day last Saturday after he took just £2 on the Thursday and Friday. He says he used to take between £80 and £150 per day before Positive Parking.

He said: "I am very sad that something that has taken six years of effort to establish has taken just two years for an inefficient council, with their cavalier attitudes, to ruin.

"I have plotted my takings by computer and the graph shows a decline of 52 per cent since the plan was put into force."

Mr Allen has written to Buckinghamshire County Council, which introduced the scheme, to complain.

He said: "What really angers me is that whenever you see that Positive Parking has forced someone to close down, some patronising suit from the council replies that it is not the council's fault.

"Who do they think is at fault? We can't all be so bad at business that we fail."

Positive Parking bars motorists from leaving their cars on many town centre streets or forces them to pay via meters on streets which used to be free. Transgressors are fined.

Other shopkeepers also say the scheme has ruined business. Last week, Auto Supplies owner Frank Grant announced his shop would have to close after 30 years because the Castle Street business could not survive Positive Parking.

A Buckinghamshire County Council spokesman said: "The council is very supportive of the business community and the idea of Positive Parking is to allow more people to have access to the shops.

"Prior to Positive Parking, spaces that were available were monopolised by a few who parked there for long periods. This was not good for shoppers or the businesses."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.