SHOP owners in Bicester are fuming after Cherwell District Council refused a plea for help to boost Christmas trade.

Traders hoped the council would allow free parking at the former cattle market in Victoria Road during December amid fears shoppers would go elsewhere to do their Christmas shopping.

They said only a small number of cars used the 125-space car park so any loss would be nominal, and that nearby towns, including Witney and Aylesbury, as well as Bicester Village, all offered free parking.

However, the district council has refused to back down, saying it had to protect its income in order to run its services.

Parking at the Cattle Market car park costs 60p an hour.

Tony Douglas, owner of menswear retailer Henry’s, said: “We have asked umpteen times for Cherwell to help.

“I showed the council a poster from Aylesbury which said free parking in a multi-storey car park so many days up to Christmas. They looked at it and said no.

“If I talk to them in a meeting about parking their eyes hit the floor. They have no concept of retail.”

Tony Burroughs, of Bicester Music, added: “I have people in my shop who would like to look upstairs but say, ‘I’ve got to go I’ve only got five minutes on my parking ticket’. It’s a hindrance to retailers.”

Ben Jackson, president of Bicester Chamber of Commerce, said: “Bicester’s competitors, Witney, Buckingham, Aylesbury, are all offering no-cost parking options in the run up to Christmas.

“Once again Bicester and Banbury will be disadvantaged in terms of parking charges for visitors, residents and workers, compared to other centres.”

Les Sibley, a town and district councillor, called for Cherwell to make a U-turn.

He said: “This is really putting a dampener on Christmas.

“I can’t believe Cherwell won’t let residents park for free for the month of December – no one uses the car park so what are they losing?

“What they will lose is the goodwill of local residents.

“It’s just going to drive people out of the town.

“The least the district council could do is inject a bit of Christmas spirit and give traders and residents a boost in these bad economic times.”

Nigel Morris, council executive member for community safety, street scene and rural, defended the decision.

He said: “We are in more difficult times and they’ll only get harder.

“We are having to think very hard about how we protect our income and reduce our costs while protecting the services which are priorities for our residents.

“Free parking is a good example of the difficult choices we need to make.”