Empty spaces at park and ride site

A visit by the Shuttle/Times and News to the Stadium Close car park, by the Harriers football ground, at 1.30pm on Monday found a sea of empty spaces - despite extensive promotion of the service. Stadium Close car park at Monday lunchtime.

At the launch of the scheme last Thursday, Councillor Pauline Hayward, portfolio holder for transport and traffic, said: "This service offers a viable alternative to those people who have been finding it difficult to park.

"Although this will not solve all of the temporary difficulties we are experiencing due to the redevelopment of the town centre, it is certainly a very positive step." Councillor Pauline Hayward and Keith Taylor, owner of Coniston Coaches who operate the park and ride service.

A spokesman for the council admitted the scheme, similar to others operated in other parts of the county, had failed to attract more than a handful of shoppers so far.

Simon Trickett, marketing officer for cultural, leisure and commercial services, said things were "very quiet at the moment," in spite of leafleting of vehicles in the town's car parks.

But he said it was hoped new signs being put up and lobbying of major employers in the town, such as Littlewoods and Marks and Spencer, would attract more people.

Margaret Moon, who runs the town's Swan Centre, recently warned Kidderminster businesses faced a bleak Christmas and smaller outlets could shut because of the loss of more than 800 parking spaces.

The council has demolished Pitts Lane and Market Street multi-storey car parks and surface car parks to make way for the Weavers Wharf development and new Kidderminster College site.

Under the scheme, which operates six days a week, a minibus leaves Stadium Close at half-hourly intervals from 8am until 6.30pm, with return journeys from 8.20am outside Kidderminster Town Hall until 6.50pm.

The service will operate on a trial basis until Christmas when it will be reviewed.