TRADERS say action needs to be taken to reduce parking charges which are “draining the life blood” from their town.

More than 30 local business owners have written an open letter to South Lakeland District Council saying the cost of parking in Ulverston is driving customers away.

Katie Holmes, who owns gift company Sting in the Tail and helped rally traders to write the letter, said the cost of parking was forcing many customers to go to Barrow where larger outlets provided free parking.

SLDC could make the same or more revenue from car parks by lowering prices and attracting more people to use them, she said.

“I am so depressed by seeing empty car parks, they are used less and less in the centre of town apart from market days on a Thursday and on a Saturday,” said Mrs Holmes.

“People will drive around two or three times to look for a space on the street or risk parking on double yellow lines and often to avoid all this they just go to Barrow.”

A trial of reduced parking charges had worked well in Ulverston in July 2012 and seen more people using the car parks, she said.

In the letter the traders ask the council to either introduce lower charges at car parks across Ulverston, leaving spaces available at Stockbridge Lane for long stay parking, or introduce a low cost annual parking permit for residents in South Lakeland.

The letter says: “This could be restricted to a stay of two to three hours and controlled with a disc...We need to encourage local, regular, shoppers that have been driven away over the last decade. Your current policy is draining the life blood from the retailers in our town.”

Cllr Giles Archibald, SLDC portfolio holder for town centres and small businesses, said: “We welcome ideas as to how we can use our car parks to enhance the economic activity of town centres. In Ulverston we have lowered the cost at Stockbridge Lane and have entered into various special deals at the prompting of the town council and town traders in order to promote economic activity.

“We are somewhat constrained, in that if we materially reduce our car park revenues, we would either have to cut services or increase council tax. But within these constraints, we are very willing to consider alternative pricing structures.”

He added that he and council officers would be happy to meet with people from the Ulverston community to discuss their ideas.

Cllr Archibald said: “Perhaps the traders that have signed this letter would like to suggest a couple of dates, and let's get together to review both these suggestions and other ideas.’’