A monthly £80 charge to park outside a converted Stockport mill has been lowered after residents hit out at the introduction of the fee.
People living at Meadow Mill, near Portwood roundabout and the M60, expressed frustration, especially after heavy flooding on New Year’s Day left the car park submerged in water.
The owners of the building, Awal Investment, had planned to enforce the charge from September, but halved it to £40 instead after meeting residents and other interested groups.
There are more than 200 apartments at the mill and around 35 parking bays are privately owned, with the rest subject to parking fees.
There is a two-hour free parking period for residents and visitors arriving at the mill by car, with charges for longer stays.
Steven Shepherd began renting an apartment in the mill recently via an estate agent, but said he only learned about the charge from speaking to other residents.
“It’s not affordable really, I don’t think we’d be able to pay it, I think I’d have to just walk everywhere,” he said.
“If you pay £80 a month for it, what happens if you can’t find a space? We’ve got a 12-year-old son and we take him out in the car.”
Doug Franks, 29, said: “I’m paying to park at Tesco [across the road] at the moment, but we’ve got a daughter so getting her in and out is not as convenient.”
Tony Connor, head of property and developments at Awal Investment, defended the fee.
“It’s always been part of the plan here, it’s nothing new,” he said.
“I don’t sense frustration from residents about this, I felt that it was reasonable. We’ve got 220 bicycle spaces here, I would encourage people [looking for other ways to travel] to use these and also public transport.”
Christine Carrigan, a Labour councillor in Stockport, said she was pleased the fee had been lowered after 60 people living at the mill contacted her with concerns.
However she said residents had not received any “real communication” about the charge and when it would come into effect.
Parking at the mill is being managed by YourParkingSpace on behalf of the owners, which said the fee had been set after a “consultation”.
CERT, the company managing Meadow Mill on behalf of the owners, said the car parking management system is “standard practice” in the majority of apartment developments.
