Parking limit puts paid to a lunch in the city centre

RECENTLY some people dropped in to visit my mother in her new home in Salisbury.
The three of them – one was a sprightly 87-year-old – intended to have lunch in the city centre beforehand, with a gentle stroll in the Close to stretch their legs.
They were breaking a long journey by coming here, and a park and ride bus didn’t figure on their list of options.
So, they told us, they looked up Mum’s address and headed for what seemed to be the most handily located car park. It was Salt Lane.
When they read the signs there, however, they realised that parking was limited to three hours. And given that most 87-year-old ladies’ sprinting days are well and truly behind them, they wouldn’t have time to do everything they wanted.
They decided not to have lunch in Salisbury after all.
They got back into their car, drove out into the countryside, and came across the Wheatsheaf at Woodford, where they had a lovely meal.
Then they drove back to Salt Lane and paid for three hours so that they had time for a nice catch-up with us without rushing.
Who was the loser in all this? You might think it was Wiltshire Council, because if these visitors had been offered the facility to pay for four or five hours instead of three, they would have done.
Indeed, if they’d asked me before setting out, I’d have directed them to the privately-run New Street multi-storey, where they could have stayed as long as they liked, with no risk of encountering a ticket-wielding warden.
But they didn’t know it would be necessary.
More to the point was what our visitors didn't buy - a meal for three in the city centre.
There’s nothing wrong with the Wheatsheaf - as it happens, it's one of Mum's favourites - so we agreed that next time they were passing through we'd meet them there, which would make things easier for them.
That's another meal - this time for five people - that won't be bought from a business in the city centre.
I remember from my reporting days hoteliers complaining about the damaging effect of the short-stay limit on their trade, particularly when guests were coming here for business meetings, maybe over a meal. It’s simply too short.
This is the result of what passes for a parking strategy under Wiltshire Council.
If I ran a restaurant in Salisbury I'd be joining forces with all my competitors to campaign for common sense on this issue, and asking my customers to sign a petition in support.
I’d ask all our local councillors to sign up too. Unless they think the city can afford to simply throw away custom?