Parking problems persist in many of the UK's largest towns and cities, and they could be doing untold damage to tourist and retail trade.

A new survey has highlighted how much of a problem parking is in Bath, where almost two-thirds of businesses said they were hampered in some way by drivers leaving their cars in places they should not, finding it is too expensive to park or even not being able to find a space at all.

Law firm Withy King conducted the research and found a number of issues are going against companies based in the West Country city. These included the cost of parking, the lack of spaces, the poor state of public transport and the proposal for a car-free city centre.

Angela MacAusland, chair of the city's Federation of Small Businesses Branch, told the Bath Chronicle it is vital that shoppers are encouraged to visit the high street and surrounding areas in order to spend money and keep local retailers alive.

"Some cities allow residents to park free for 20 minutes to allow them to visit local shopping streets. What we are trying to say is we don't want people going to out of city shopping centres because it's easier and free to park," she explained

Of the 160-plus firms to reply to the survey, 72 per cent said they felt parking regulations in Bath put shoppers off the idea of coming into the city, while 63 per cent suggested parking is the root cause of trading difficulties.

The local authority would be wise to consider measures such as introducing a raft of new parking regulations designed to encourage people to visit Bath, while also ensuring control of the highways is maintained.

Employing people in parking jobs to monitor cars and hand out penalty notices where appropriate is another shrewd move.

In these difficult times for the retail sector, deterring people from heading into a town centre should be avoided at all costs. For all recruitment in your area, contact Unity Recruitment today.