On-street parking fees are back in Northampton town centre...and some are already getting tickets

One of Northampton's independent shop owners believes bringing back charges for parking been an own goal for the town centre.

Shops in the town were able to unlock their doors for the first time in three months today (Monday) as the Government lifted Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

Parking had been free while the shops were closed — and those who thought it still was quickly copped a ticket for their trouble.

Instead, it costs drivers to park in streets again from today although Borough Council-run multi-storeys and surface car parks will still be free until June 28,

Julie Tackman, owner of Vintage Guru in St Giles Street, revealed traders in the town were not consulted over the move and only told about it late on Friday.

She said: "We were starting to believe street parking would be free this week until we were told last thing on Friday that it would be back up and running.

"It seems counter-productive. It's almost unkind. We've got to encourage people to come into a town centre where not everything is open.

"it's a decision that should have involved traders. I really hoped they would would have made it free at least for this first week."

Julie opened her business in Northampton nearly two years ago, hosting nearly 60 independent traders in a two-storey building, but was forced to close in March when the lockdown started.

Today she is handing out disposable protective gloves to customers so they can touch things in the store. Clothes that are tried or or returned are taken to a back room, steam cleaned and left alone for 24 hours.

Julie added: "The most important thing to us is that customers feel safe.

"It's difficult to know if you're meeting the guidelines but if our customers say they feel say that's all you can do.

"It felt good to open today and find a queue of customers waiting outside."