by “People have stopped coming because they have nowhere to park,” says Anna Sheridan, owner of Plumcake cafe in Bramhall Village Square shopping centre.
On a sunny September day the place would usually be full of people pottering around the shops and chatting over coffee in its central square. But the decision to close the Village Square car park for work by United Utilities has left the area a ‘ghost town’ – and businesses say they will struggle to survive.
The water company closed the car park last week to start a project which aims to improve water quality in the nearby Micker Brook. The firm’s initial ground investigation began on September 4 and is scheduled to last six weeks, with the hope of reducing the number of times local storm surges operate.
READ MORE: Stockport’s Full Moon Festival returns this weekend
The full works will start next year and will be carried out over a longer period, with the exact timescales to be confirmed later this year.
Although there are other parking areas in the area, including the nearby Meadway car park, businesses said many customers need to park at Village Square to do shopping in their car, or to reduce walking distances for elderly or disabled visitors.
For businesses like Plumcake cafe, the impact of the current closure has already been “catastrophic”, Mr Sheridan said.
She said: “It could end all of Bramhall, people will go elsewhere. My family is not coming, we will not survive this, I am already thinking about what else to do.”
Indeed, footfall at Village Square has fallen since its Sainsbury’s store relocated in February 2023, traders say, but they warn that the lack of parking is still leading to fewer customers.
Denise Cardew is a regular visitor to Village Square with her partner Paul and their two dogs, Lola and Alfie. Sitting at one of the many empty tables outside the Plumcake cafe, Miss Cardew said she could “see the difference” in the number of people lost since the car park was closed.
“You have a lot of elderly people who can’t walk that far,” she said.
“You understand the need to do the work, but they have to think about local people. It’s very sad to see it like this, it’s like a ghost town.
“We like talking to people and meeting people here. You get the same people all the time, it’s a strong community.”
Angela Coppock, manager of Blessings in the area, said: “I don’t know how we’ll survive a year. We’ve lost three or four disabled parking spaces, it’s really hard for them.”
In recent years, businesses in Village Square have been fighting to survive during Covid, and thought the worst times were long over.
For Sharon Dobson, owner of Little BigHeads children’s hairdressers, the parking problem is another big test for the area, which she believes will only survive through the loyalty of its regular visitors.
“We have to plead with customers to still shop with us and not forget about us,” she said, adding: “We’ve been through Covid, this is another thing to get through.”
The business owners agreed that more needs to be done to help people who want to visit the area. They proposed measures such as starting a park and ride system so that older people can still come to Village Square, and asking United Utilities to pay part of their rent during the closure of the car parks.
Some said more awareness was needed that blue badge holders in Stockport can park on yellow lines for up to three hours, unless a loading ban is in place.
What Stockport Council says
Stockport council officers visited the area, and the town hall said they are aware of the difficulties of losing parking spaces – but that the work is “essential” and must go ahead.
Councilor Grace Baynham, the council’s cabinet member for parks, highways and transport, said: “We understand the frustrations expressed by our residents and local businesses and are actively working with all parties involved to minimize disruption .
“United Utilities are working hard to improve the storm drain system at Briarlands Close, which affects the Micker Stream. These upgrades are essential to protect our environment.
“For everyone’s safety while the work is in progress, the council must temporarily close the southern part of the Bramhall Precinct car park until the beginning of October.
“We recognize the inconvenience this may cause and would like to assure you that alternative parking is available at the nearby Meadway car park, just a five minute walk away.”
A United Utilities spokesman said: “We are committed to improving water quality across the region and this essential scheme will reduce the number of times the nearby storm surge operates into Micker Brook.
“We understand the impact this work will have on the local community and that is why we have been in contact with them over the past few months to help communicate our plans. We are also working with the council to mitigate the impact of the Council. the parking lot was closed.
“Our teams will be working as quickly as possible during this investigation phase to reopen the car park as soon as possible.”
