MOST customers to a new North Perth skate shop will arrive by bus, bike or skateboard but Vincent council staff still want to charge its owners $33,000 to make up for not having enough parking spaces.
Shane Greenshields wants to open a third Beyond Skate store at 341-345 Charles Street but says “the cash-in-lieu amount will limit our ability to take on the lease”.
Figures from his Perth and Cannington stores suggest ”most of our customers are school-aged and catch buses, ride bikes or skate to the store”.
This store will also be right by a bus route.
The council’s cash-in-lieu policy slugs businesses that are deemed to not have enough nearby parking. The cash goes into a kitty intended to be used on transport infrastructure projects to ease the parking squeeze around town.
The skate shop’s 6.25 car bays short and that means it must stump up $33,696 in lieu.
After hearing Mr Greenshields out, mayor John Carey hinted he’d be open to lowering the fee, but it’ll be up to the council to decide.
by DAVID BELL
Perth Voice Interactive 
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