Plans to introduce parking charges at Thorley Lane car park in Timperley have come under fierce criticism from local councillors, who warn they could damage independent businesses and drive shoppers away from the village.
The proposals prompted a lengthy debate at Trafford Council's Executive meeting on Monday night, with councillors questioning whether the authority would listen to widespread opposition from residents, traders and community organisations.
The introduction of charges at the currently free car park forms part of the council's draft budget for 2027/28, which includes plans to generate an additional £250,000 a year from parking charges across Trafford.
Councillor Newgrosh said there was near-unanimous opposition to the plans among local organisations.
"Every local organisation, whether it's civic society, local traders, the volunteers that run the community centre, all residents are pretty much united in our position against this," he told the meeting.
He warned that Timperley was particularly vulnerable because shoppers could instead visit nearby destinations offering free parking.
He said the charges would reduce footfall, threaten the financial viability of local businesses, particularly independent traders, and push more motorists into surrounding residential streets.
Drawing comparisons with Altrincham's past struggles with vacant shops, he questioned whether the council had learned from the town's experience.
He also called for an independent financial assessment to establish whether the income generated from charging at Thorley Lane would outweigh any potential damage to the village economy.
"Does it make financial sense?" he asked. "Will that not outweigh the loss to the village?"
Councillor Ennis echoed the concerns, saying opposition to the charges had been consistent for years.
"We're very, very firmly against them," he said. "There is no support anywhere in Timperley for parking charges in the village."
He argued that Timperley's proximity to other shopping destinations with free parking made it a special case.
"People are concerned about the impact on small businesses," he said.
He also questioned whether the council had consulted directly with Timperley's businesses and how their views would be taken into account.
And he asked whether any assessment of the proposals would consider the parking spaces lost when Timperley Library was redeveloped in 2015, rather than relying solely on more recent parking data.
The debate widened to concerns about the impact of parking charges on independent businesses elsewhere in Trafford, including Hale.
Councillors also repeatedly challenged whether the proposed public consultation could actually lead to the charges being abandoned.
Cllr Newgrosh asked what level of opposition would make the council reconsider, or whether consultation would be "merely window dressing for the rubber stamp decision".
Later in the meeting, another councillor asked whether the council would change course if a majority of residents and businesses responding opposed the plans.
Responding to the criticism, Cllr Liz Patel defended the proposals, arguing that introducing charges at Thorley Lane would bring Timperley into line with other village centres, including Hale and Ashton upon Mersey.
She said fears about the impact of paid parking on those villages had not materialised.
"The fears that you've articulated there about impact on the viability of those villages hasn't played out in any of those other village settings," she said.
"It's a question really of being equitable with the other village centres."
She insisted the council would listen to residents and businesses during the forthcoming consultation, but stressed that the final decision would not be determined by a public vote.
"It's not lip service. We have to consult around our budget, and we will listen," she said.
"I'm afraid it's not a referendum."
Cllr Patel acknowledged that the introduction of charges at Thorley Lane had been considered for several years, but said the plans had previously been delayed because the car park was used as a Covid vaccination facility and subsequently while new parking restrictions were introduced in the village.
"There's no reason, really, why we shouldn't look at this again now, I'm afraid, given our budget picture," she said.
She added that any income generated from parking charges would be reinvested in the council's parking and highways services.
The Thorley Lane proposal is part of wider plans to increase parking income across Trafford, including revised tariffs, extended charging hours and the introduction of Sunday charges.
The council expects the changes to be introduced in summer 2027, subject to consultation and the necessary approvals.
The precise charges proposed for Thorley Lane have not yet been published, with the final council budget due to be agreed in February 2027.
