CONTROVERSIAL proposals to give businesses in the ACE Centre exclusive of a car park in Nelson town centre have been put on hold.
Members of Pendle Council’s Nelson Committee had been recommended to agree to designate the 22 spaces on the car park in New Brown Street for business use.
This follows a request from Pendle Enterprise and Regeneration Ltd (PEARL) for the move, claiming it would encourage new businesses to the area.
But councillors have deferred a decision and have called for more talks between members, officers and the PEARL board.
The committee has already offered 30 spaces on the Goitside car park for ACE Centre workers but members were told that business leaders preferred to have spaces closer to their work place. A report to the meeting said businesses had shown no interest in taking up these spaces.
Coun. Mohammed Iqbal said that members were not anti-business but they had to consider the needs of other town centre users and local residents as well.
There are currently 621 parking spaces available on public car parks in Nelson, as well as a further 314 on the multi-storey car park.