‘Bournemouth is losing shoppers’: business owner launches fight for free parking
A Bournemouth business owner says shoppers are ‘abandoning the town centre’ due to parking prices
A Bournemouth business owner has launched a petition calling for an hour of free parking at council-run car parks in the town centre, arguing that expensive charges are driving shoppers away.
Catherine Gosney, owner of Thirty Three Boutique, says Bournemouth’s struggling high street is being put at a disadvantage by costly and limited parking, while nearby retail parks continue to attract shoppers with free parking.
“It breaks my heart,” she said, as she claimed local shoppers had largely abandoned the town centre due to “poor and expensive” parking.
She told us: “They've made accessibility to the town centre more difficult, so people have just gotten in their cars and driven elsewhere.
“Highstreet shops need parking as close to the shops as possible and it needs to be free of charge or very reasonably priced.”
She has now launched a petition calling for one hour of free parking across all Bournemouth town centre car parks, saying the measure could help existing businesses and encourage new companies to invest in the area.
Ms Gosney warned that town centre retailers would struggle to survive while facing what she described as “crippling” parking charges alongside competition from retail parks.
She acknowledged that free parking would not necessarily bring shoppers flooding back immediately, but argued that it could encourage existing customers to make additional visits.
The petition needs 2,000 signatures from local residents before Gosney plans to present it to BCP Council on September 26th.
The campaign comes as the council argues that Bournemouth’s recovery should not be judged solely by parking or retail, but by the wider experience offered by the town centre.
Cllr Richard Herret said the authority recognised why some businesses supported an hour of free parking, but said culture, hospitality, shopping and events all played a role in attracting visitors.
Catherine responded: “Passing trade is the foundation of all High Street economies, not people shopping for three or four hours.
“Instead, it's the concept that people are driving past and they nip in quickly and they end up spending more time and more money than they intended. Once you take away the ability of passing trade, you destroy the whole economy.”
The council said more than 35 new businesses had opened in Bournemouth town centre since the beginning of 2025, including brands such as The Botanist and JD Gyms, alongside independent businesses.
Cllr Herret said the council would continue listening to residents and businesses, monitoring footfall and considering measures to support the long-term future of the town centre.