People ‘from all over the world’ signed petition (From Cotswold Journal)

People ‘from all over the world’ signed petition

10:47am Thursday 19th May 2011 in Past

Petitions containing more than 700 signatures of people “from all over the world” were handed in to North Cotswold Rural District Council 40 years ago objecting to proposed parking restrictions in Stow Square.

The Journal of 1961 reported: “The protest organiser, Mr Maurice Bird, tenant of The White Hart Hotel, in The Square, handed in his petition with others collected by other tradespeople. He was accompanied by several other business people, including Mr Harry Dart and Mrs B Godsland, both parish councillors and business owners in The Square. Mr Bird told the Journal: ‘This protest is a joint effort of all the business people in The Square who feel that this restriction on parking will affect trade considerably. A unanimous decision was made at the last annual parish meeting calling on the RDC to leave the parking arrangements as they stood but within a fortnight the new restrictions had been announced.’ “When it was pointed out that the RDC had provided a new car park at the end of Sheep Street to take 80 cars and several coaches, Mr Bird said it was a four-minute uphill walk from the park to the shopping centre and this could easily discourage visitors and coaches in particular.

“The two-hour restriction, which would operate between 8.30am and 6.30pm, was proposed by the council in order to help visitors who, they said, could not find a space to park, due to some people leaving cars in The Square all day and all night.”