SMALL businesses need all the help they can get at the moment.
Many are struggling and are in an especially vulnerable position as the economy settles into recession and we all spend less.
So they don’t need Kirklees Council to make things worse.
Poor old David Croft has been handed a ticket three times in the last six months for parking on a yellow line while unloading stock into his Milnsbridge model shop.
He says the regime has become stricter since the council took over these things from the police.
Previously, a traffic warden would pop into the shop and tell him to get a move on.
There’s a point to be taken when the council says that vehicles parked incorrectly on a street or a bus lane can not only be dangerous but cause delays, queuing and inconvenience for other road users.
But that overlooks the fact that for many shops and businesses there is no alternative.
Mr Croft’s case shows there is a less-than-lenient attitude since the council took over responsibility for parking enforcement.
We detect the whiff of targets about it rather than commonsense.
There’s a simple question at the heart of it: Just how is Mr Croft to take deliveries at his shop?
We wait with bated breath for an acceptable plan to be put forward by Kirklees Council.
Hope it’s not too long.
