MORE shoppers are coming to Witney town centre, despite the credit crunch and new car parking arrangements.

Footfall in the Woolgate Centre rose by an unprecedented 11 per cent in May this year. And this month it is heading the same way - with the rise in petrol prices being attributed as one factor with people preferring to shop closer to home than travel to Oxford.

The figures, taken from CCTV monitoring cameras, are a boost for the new Stay Longer in Witney campaign, being officially launched on Friday by Witney MP David Cameron.

The figures do not necessarily convert into extra trade, but they are a key indicator of how the town is attracting more shoppers, even before the new 'magnet' of the Marriotts Close development - due to open in autumn next year.

Rodney Hartnell, Woolgate Centre manager, told the Gazette: "We have been using the CCTV and computer software for more than five years, and these are some of the best figures yet. Until Christmas last year, the footfall was going down. But the creation of more short-stay car parking spaces - an extra 186 in the Woolgate - has had a big effect. People are finding it easier to get spaces and shop here.

"In the current economic climate, it is amazing, and, as far as I am concerned, mission accomplished."

The footfall figures were released ahead of the Stay in Witney campaign, as West Oxfordshire District Council sought to allay any criticism of the new free public parking arrangements brought in earlier this year.

One major factor agreed by the council and local shopkeepers is the big increase in petrol costs, persuading shoppers to come to Witney, instead of Oxford, Swindon, Banbury, and Cheltenham.

Bill Oddy, the council's director of community services, said surveys had shown that people wanted more short-stay car parking in the town centre.

He said: "We recently surveyed 655 people on the two busiest days of the week, Thursday and Saturday, and 87 per cent said they found a space in two to three minutes. They rated the system as good."

Long-stay parking is now restricted to the temporary Woodford Way car park, 146 spaces at the Woolgate and others at Cogges Museum and Gordon Way.

When the Marriotts Close development is opened, with Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, and other shops, the 590 spaces in the complex will be predominantly short-stay.

Mr Oddy added: "The footfall figures are excellent news in the current climate, and arguably the exact opposite of what one might expect. It is a good omen for the future success of the town."

The recently formed Witney Independent Retailers' Association was meeting council officers yesterday. Jeanne Chattoe, of Renaissance, in Wesley Walk, said: "One thing I think they could look at it is a medium-stay period of four to four-and-a-half hours."

Janette Reed, owner of Cotswold Kids, also in Wesley Walk, said there could be better signposting of where short and long-stay parking is in the town. She said: "We are looking forward to the Stay Longer campaign, and think it is very positive. At the end of the day, everyone is for Witney, and the town centre forum gets us working together."

The Stay Longer campaign is being run by Witney Town Centre Forum to promote trade in the town centre. It is distributing 30,000 brochures with information about shops and other attractions in the town.

Source: Witney Gazette.