THE boss of Beales says he will give its Poole customers the free parking they will not be getting from BCP Council.

Tony Brown is working out a way to refund the price of a two-hour parking ticket on the dates when the incentive would traditionally have been offered by the authority.

BCP Council recently infuriated businesses by revealing it would not be providing the incentive shoppers have come to expect on Thursday evenings and Sundays in the run-up to Christmas.

It cited budget pressures and said it would be encouraging sustainable ways to travel.

Mr Brown, chief executive of New Start 2020, which revived Beales in Poole’s Dolphin Shopping Centre, said he was working on a scheme to help customers with parking charges.

“We will give two hours’ free parking in the times the council were meant to support our customers in Poole,” he said.

He said there was a “growing gap” between the council and the needs of business.

“The decision will simply push more people to Castlepoint where parking is free,” he said.

“I would ask BCP Council to reconsider and talk to the business improvement districts (BIDs), understand the sheer lack of trust retail has in this BCP Council to develop a thriving retail environment and not just more property deals.”

He said he was “not surprised” by the decision, “given the lack of respect the BCP Council have for retail”.

“They simply do not see a place for a vibrant retail/hospitality environment in any of the BCP area. We also need to reflect on the effect it will have on staff that would normally have enjoyed a break from the excessive parking charges over the Christmas period,” he added.

“This is simply the wrong decision. It’s short sighted,” he said.

BCP Council said it was facing “significant pressures on our budget” when it announced it would not be providing free parking.

It said offering free parking meant lost income and its “focus has to be on continuing to protect key vital services”.

The authority said it would still be encouraging people to shop locally.