Our High Street (Sydenham) has a wide road. At the behest of the traders it is stuffed with free parking both sides (and a large free car park behind). The barrier of two lines of parked cars and two lines of moving traffic make crossing the road inconvenient and unpleasant. Result - the shops (with a few honourable exceptions) are awful. The street is a disaster. Bad enough to qualify for a Portas grant which recommends, wait for it, more parking!
10 minutes up the road by bus is Lordship Lane, East Dulwich. A narrow road with very little on-street parking and no public car park. Its a roaring success retail wise. Why - you can see across the road, you can dash across the road. People shop on foot. And then adjourn to a coffee bar. Forest Hill on the South Circular with little parking is also prospering in the same way.
This belief by local traders in Sydenham is that the only way they can compete with Sainsbury's et al is by offering more car parking is surely set to fail. Yes you have to drive to the hypermarket but most people in inner London can walk or ride to their local high street. And once they are there they are not hunting for a spot or keeping an eye on their watch - they are - SHOPPING!
I watched one part of our high street. Nearly every car that came and parked had someone jump out, dash to the ATM, and then drove away. Much good that does the local retailers. The rest of the parking places are filled by people who live in the flats over the shops. Not much better. So, I dare to suggest, the ease of on street parking is a major danger to the success of the town.