Car parking to become free in Redditch

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Lionel Owens
5 years ago
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1 Car parking to become free in Redditch Redditch Council has released plans this week to drop all car parking charges for local shoppers. Council bosses have introduced free parking throughout Redditch town centre. They hope the scheme will support town traders and encourage more people to use the shops and the outdoor market. Shoppers will still have to pay for car parking at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre. Redditch has been affected by a shortage of people using the shops around Church Green and St Stephen s church. As a result, a lot of shops have closed and the town centre has been described as an empty ghost town by many residents. Local traders and market stall holders have complained about the situation for many years and the council believe this new initiative will revitalise the troubled town centre. Commenting on the new plans, John Taylor, who owns a shoe shop on Church Green said: I think this is a great idea. Car parking in the town centre is more expensive than at the Kingfisher Shopping Centre at the moment. By dropping the charges, shops that are close to the centre should start to benefit. Local shopper, Magda Antos, said I always use the Kingfisher shopping centre because the car parking is more convenient. If it was free to park close to the market, I would probably change my shopping habits. Car parking will become free from next month. Shoppers can find out more by visiting Vocabulary 1. A very empty place (phrase) 2. To start something for the first time (v) 3. Another word for a shop keeper or market stall owner 4. To persuade somebody to do something by telling them it s a good thing to do (v) 5. Somebody who lives in a town or city (n) 6. A plan or idea (n) x2

Street lights switching off TWO THIRDS of street lights will be switched off across Redditch overnight in a scheme to save half a million pounds a year.

2 Street lights switching off TWO THIRDS of street lights will be switched off across Redditch overnight in a scheme to save half a million pounds a year. The move will see hundreds of residential streets plunged into darkness between midnight and 6am with only selected roads, bends and junctions left lit up. Redditch Council voted in favour of introducing the switch off at last Thursday s (February 6) meeting following a six-month trial in Droitwich last year. The council manages about 52,000 street lights and 8,000 illuminated road signs, but with energy costs increasing they cost 2.4million a year to keep lit throughout the night. They also produce a fifth of the council s C02 emissions which it is also looking to cut. Savings to the taxpayer once the scheme is finished are estimated to be about 500,000 a year. The police and the council say it will continue to work closely together to monitor crime rates during the programme. Councillor John Smith, responsible for highways on the county council, said: Like residents and businesses the council s energy bills have increased over the last few years and it s right we look at reducing the spend on street lighting, whilst at the same time cutting our carbon emissions. What do you think? Will you feel unsafe in your street if the lights are switched off? editor@redditchstandard.co.uk with your thoughts. Vocabulary 1. Roads where there are houses (phrase) 2. To make something bright with light (phrasal verb) 3. Somebody who pays a percentage of their income to the government as tax (n) 4. To go up (v) 5. To go down (v) x2 6. Pollution caused by transport or factories (phrase)

Anger over increased hospital parking charges CONCERNS have been raised that increased parking charges at Redditch s Alexander Hospital will affect patients when they are at their most vulnerable.

3 Anger over increased hospital parking charges CONCERNS have been raised that increased parking charges at Redditch s Alexander Hospital will affect patients when they are at their most vulnerable. Until Monday, January 5 parking at the Alexander was 3 for up to two hours, 4.50 for between two and four hours, 6 for between four and six hours and 7.50 for up to 24 hours. The prices have now changed to 2.50 for up to an hour and 3.70 for up to two hours, with the remaining charges staying the same. Patients and visitors are still able to park for free for up to 30 minutes. Worcestershire campaigner Lisa Ventura said she was disappointed by the changes. The parking charges were bad enough before but these changes are just not acceptable, she said. Chairman of patient s watchdog Worcestershire Healthwatch Peter Pinfield also criticised the decision: People are struggling at the moment and it can get expensive, especially for people who have to go a few times a week, he said. Chris Tidma, Director of Resources at the Hospital, said the one-hour rate had been introduced following feedback from patients. We still remain cheaper, than the average hospital car park charges, he said. Mr Tidman added the majority of income from parking charges was invested back into repairing the hospital s car parks and roads, with any extra used for health services. Vocabulary 1. Can be hurt easily (adj) 2. To feel a bit sad because something has not happened or is not as good as you hoped (adj) 3. Good enough or fairly good (adj) 4. To tell somebody things that you think are wrong with them (v) 5. More than half (phrase) 6. When the government gives money to something which is useful (phrasal verb)

4 vulnerable stay disappointed parking criticise the majority residential encourage crime feel town introduce complain new a ghost patients / people the same by s thing/s body charges the decision of income streets people to do s thing rates unsafe traders free parking about s thing/s body initiative town

5 Scotland cuts drink-drive alcohol limit A new law has come into force which makes the legal drink-drive limit in Scotland lower than elsewhere in the UK. The change reduces the legal alcohol limit from 80mg to 50mg in every 100ml of blood. Campaigners believe the new limit will cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on Scottish roads. The limit elsewhere in the UK will remain at 80mg - the joint highest in Europe. However, the UK government said it had no plans to reduce the drink drive limit in England and Wales as it said this would have no impact on "high risk offenders". Police and road safety campaigners have said an average of 20 people die on Scotland's roads each year as a result of collisions involving people who were driving while over the legal alcohol limit. A further 90 were seriously injured and 340 slightly injured as a result of drinkdriving related collisions last year. The amount a motorist can drink before being over the limit depends on factors including their gender, age, weight, metabolism, stress levels and whether they have eaten recently, as well as the size and strength of the drink. Experts have said the new 50mg limit, which came into force at midnight, means that an average man would be limited to just under a pint of beer or a large glass of wine, and women to half a pint of beer or a small glass of wine. MP says NO to lowering drink drive limit REDDITCH MP Karen Lumley has rejected calls for the drink drive limit to be lowered saying it would have no impact on high-risk offenders.

A survey published by road safety charity Brake revealed three quarters of those questioned wanted to see a change in the law. The UK has one of the most relaxed drink drive limits in Europe.

6 A survey published by road safety charity Brake revealed three quarters of those questioned wanted to see a change in the law. The UK has one of the most relaxed drink drive limits in Europe. Brake is calling on all politicians to make reducing the drink drive limit a key priority for the General Election. It s also calling for longer prison sentences of up to two years for drink drivers. However, Mrs Lumley said there had been a real change in public attitudes towards drink driving in recent years. Lowering the drink-driving limit would have no impact on high risk offenders. Whilst other countries in the European Union have a lower limit, they also have lower penalties. We must focus on enforcing current laws and taking those who drink and drive off our roads. Vicki Bristow, communications manager for Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police Safer Roads Partnership, added whatever the limit was, there was still no easy way of calculating how much a person could legally drink. Importantly, any amount of alcohol affects your ability to drive.the safest option we always recommend if you are driving is to drink no alcohol at all. Public transport, taxis and sharing nominated drivers are easy to arrange - drinking and driving simply isn t worth the risk.

Public attitudes to road safety

Public attitudes to road safety Highlights of the survey Prepared by the Research & Statistics section of the Land Transport Safety Authority. 3 4 Fieldwork conducted for the LTSA by National Research