SHOPPERS in the Maltings are signing a petition protesting against the charges.

Centre manager Bill McConnell said: “People keep coming in to my office to complain because they think I am in charge of the car parking.

“And the shopkeepers were getting so much hassle from customers saying they couldn’t afford to come in again that they decided they could do with a petition. The loss of the one-hour parking band is the main thing.

“We’ve also had complaints that when people try to pay by phone, the phones aren’t working.”

One person who signed the petition at the Sue Ryder shop said she did not see why she should have to pay £2.20 - the minimum charge - to park while dropping off goods at a charity shop.

Another described the new charges as “sheer greed”.

Mr McConnell, a board member of City Centre Management, said: “This will turn Salisbury into a ghost city. I don’t want to be the centre manager of 26 empty units.”

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