‘Get us on side and we will fight together’: Hairdresser pleads with council to work with businesses, not against them

A Northampton hairdresser has spoken out about West Northamptonshire Council’s plans to scrap free weekend town centre parking and increase all hourly rates.

Daniel Granger, owner of Daniel Granger Hairdressing in Abington Street, has pleaded with the authorities to work with businesses and not against them.

He said: “Get us on side and we will fight together. Separating us from you is not the answer.”

After seeing one of the town’s biggest hairdressers, Hensmans, recently close its doors after more than 40 years, Daniel says “enough is enough”.

“One day that could be us,” he said. “It all boils down to parking charges and the amount of empty shops in the town centre.”

Each month, Daniel and his employees each have to pay £68 to park in the nearest council-owned car park – which they fork out of their own pocket, including part-time workers and those on low income apprenticeships.

He recently had one staff member approach him “in bits” and express her concerns that “she is not sure she can do it anymore”.

As a single mother of four, Daniel is having to find a way to help her cover parking costs – which would only get worse if the council’s proposals go ahead.

Daniel said: “I pay between £7,000 and £8,000 in parking revenue each year, and I am on my last straw before I decide to give it to a private car park.

“But with females aged 16 to 25 on my team, using a different car park that’s further away would be more unsafe and make them feel vulnerable after finishing in the evenings.”

Daniel believes if everyone loves something enough, it will become great – and thinks this is the issue with the negativity surrounding the town centre.

The salon owner said: “You go 20 metres up the road and people park on the side streets and visit Wellingborough Road for free, which is thriving.

“It’s no coincidence that the town centre charges for parking and is currently diving in popularity.”

Alike to other businesses who have spoken to Chronicle & Echo for its campaign, Daniel says the majority of his customers come to the town centre specifically to visit his salon.

He said: “They spend a maximum of three hours in town, and we hope they will continue to visit if the parking prices go up.

“But there will come a point where there are no businesses left.”

Daniel has spent his whole life in Northampton, a town he loves, and he says the council is “messing with the wrong people who genuinely want to give back to the community”.

The business owner has never felt the need to rally together with others in the town centre, but says this shows “enough is enough”.

The hairdresser believes inviting bigger brands and their employees to the town centre would be beneficial and see greater interest from visitors and residents.

Daniel says cutting business rates to incentivise making the move to Northampton town centre may offer some solution to filling the empty premises.

To sign the petition before it is too late, click here – and you can share your views directly to the council using this survey before the end of the public consultation on January 31.