An Oswestry businessman has branded Shropshire Council’s proposed tradesperson ‘parking waiver’ system “impossible”.

Shropshire Council’s draft new parking strategy, which is out to consultation until October 17, proposes to simplify and improve the current waiver system by introducing a new ‘tradesperson/work waiver’ in place of the existing green and red waivers.

Currently, a green waiver allows tradespeople to park in any of Shropshire Council’s car parks or on-street parking bays, loading bays or resident-only bays. It costs £10 per vehicle per day.

A red waiver allows tradespeople to park on double/single yellow lines or in a disabled bay. It costs £15 per vehicle per day.

The proposed new waiver would cost £20 per vehicle, and be valid for one day.

However Jason Edwards, of A C Edwards and Sons, who regularly delivers to various locations around Oswestry, thinks the idea is “crazy”.

“How can the council expect businesses to pay £20 a day when most of the time we drop produce off within five minutes.

“Our business have to operate five vans, so this would cost us £100 straight off. We can’t expect our clients to pay extra just for parking,” said Jason.

The proposal comes after multiple businesses around Oswestry, including Jason’s fruit and veg business, were issued with tickets for parking in loading bays.

“The solution would be for traffic warden’s to give businesses a little more leeway instead of coming up with these ideas which are thought up by someone who sits in an office, as opposed to being out in van dropping off produce every day,” added Jason.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “As part of the review of our parking strategy we’re proposing to end the current system of long-stay and short-stay car parking, by introducing parking tickets that allow you to park without a maximum stay limit in our car parks and on-street pay and display areas.

“If this is agreed it will mean that tradespeople will no longer have to purchase green waivers if they want to park for extended periods. Instead they’ll be able to purchase a ticket for the period of stay required – or they can apply for the new type of waiver.

“However, this is a proposal at this stage and nothing has been decided. We’re therefore eager to hear the views of tradespeople and others before the consultation period ends on October 17.”

But Jason continued: “Our vans don’t even fit on the car parks because of height restrictions.

“If they expect us to lug our produce from Central car park all the way to Bailey Head then that is crazy.”