Petition launched opposing parking restrictions outside businesses at Stretton

A petition has been launched campaigning against proposals by Warrington Borough Council to impose parking restrictions which will have a devastating impact on a local business and Post Office at Stretton.

Warrington Borough Council is proposing to put parking restrictions on the A49 Tarporley Road outside Cheshire Natural Health and Stretton Post Office.
The business owners asked the council to restrict the parking to 2 hours to keep spaces free for their clients, but the requests have been ignored, and it is proposed to make it no parking instead, with limited parking.

Petition organisers Tracey Turton from Cheshire Natural Health and Susan Carter from Stretton Post Office said: “We are writing this petition as concerned business owners in the Warrington area. Our businesses, Cheshire Natural Health and Stretton Post Office, rely heavily on the accessibility to the current parking. These proposals by Warrington Borough Council to impose timed bay and loading restrictions threaten not only the convenience for our customers but also the very lifeline of our establishments.
“These changes would severely disrupt the flow of our operations. Cheshire Natural Health and Stretton Post Office depend on the ability of our clients to park easily nearby. Restricting this capability will not only result in a decline in foot traffic but will also force some customers to reconsider visiting altogether. This is not just a minor inconvenience – it’s a potential threat to revenue, jobs, and the local economy.
“According to recent statistics, small businesses contribute up to 47% of the revenue in the UK private sector, and limiting accessibility can deter potential growth and sustainability. As per the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), customer accessibility and convenience play crucial roles in the success of local enterprises. The proposed restrictions, if implemented, will create unnecessary hurdles for Cheshire Natural Health and Stretton Post Office, pushing them into a financial downturn they may not recover from.”

Tracey added: “Cheshire Natural Health was established 20 years ago and, over these years, we have built a solid client base and a trusted reputation in the area and have helped over 20,000 clients over this time. Our clients have always been able to park safely and easily in the car park and on the road adjacent to the premises.
“At Cheshire Natural Health we provide a range of essential treatments including chiropody and physiotherapy and we have many elderly and people with serious health issues who rely on our services. We have 25 self-employed therapists who rely on Cheshire Natural Health for their own livelihood, including private doctors and medical consultants. Likewise, Stretton Post Office has provided a vital service in the community for many decades and is a lifeline for local residents, especially the elderly.
“Since 2021 we have noticed an increase in cars parking on the road and this has been getting worse over the past few years. It has become increasingly difficult for our clients and those of the post office to park when visiting our premises.
“Clients regularly complain that they are unable to easily park and several have decided to use facilities elsewhere due to this. Our elderly and frail clients are having to park a long way up the road and walk to the clinic using a path that is poorly maintained and dangerous.
“The situation is now at breaking point, and having survived business shut down during Covid and worked hard to build the business back up we are now losing clients due to the parking problems. We are seriously concerned for the future of both my business and the Post Office next door, who are also losing clients because of the situation. It is causing myself and the therapists significant stress as we are all affected by this problem.
“Nothing has changed with our businesses and the number of attendees over this time. However, the main thing that has changed is double yellow lines being introduced on Fir Tree Close around 2020 with no consultation with us or neighbouring businesses. This road was previously safely used as an overflow for the Spire, for walking groups and for people car sharing to travel to work.
“My initial contact to highlight this issue to my councillor was in March 2023. Despite repeated emails and conversations between Cllr Kenneth Critchley, Cllr Laura Booth, Sarah Hall MP, and Warrington BC, nothing has been done and we were told that they would look at the issue in early 2025.
“On January 20th we received the consultation document giving us an unreasonable deadline of 30th January to reply, given the significant impact that this could have on our businesses. We are devastated by this proposal and instead of helping and supporting us, the Council seems determined to make life extremely difficult for us. I recently attended a Warrington business conference where senior members of the council talked about how important SMEs are to Warrington and this completely contradicts that message.”

Possible Solution
Tracey added: “We feel that there are workable solutions to this issue which can be very easily and cheaply implemented:

Introduce a 2-hour time restriction on parking southbound along Tarporley Road from our premises up to the bus stop, to allow all our customers to be able to park easily near the businesses and prevent people from parking there all day.

What the council has proposed
Essentially, they are proposing double yellow lines up to the bus stop and then a space for a few cars with a 2 hour restriction. This is too far away for our clients and in no way sufficient parking space for our clients.
This matter is causing severe stress to staff at the Cheshire Natural and at the Post Office. It is hard enough for a small business to survive in the current economic climate without the council making things more difficult for us.

Tracey Turton from Cheshire Natural Health

Sign the petition by CLICKING HERE