A COUNCILLOR has criticised a restaurant company for not being 'overly helpful' in discussions to alleviate parking problems in his ward.

North Manor councillor James Daly told a meeting of Greenmount Village Community on Monday night that he had been in touch with Mitchells and Butlers, the company that owns Miller and Carter, in Brandlesholme Road, to ask them to consider allowing part of the car park to be used by the community.

However, he says they have dismissed his suggestions of selling a part of the car park to alleviate parking problems on the surrounding roads.

Parking charges were introduced to the car park in 2016 by the company when it was a Toby Carvery.

The company later released a statement reiterating that the reason for the charges was that the car park was being used by people not visiting the pub and “putting off genuine guests from visiting us”.

The move incensed patients of nearby Greenmount Medical Centre who would previously have parked there due to the surgery's limited capacity car park.

The parking charges have remained in place following Miller & Carter opening in the site back in September.

Speaking at the meeting at Greenmount United Reformed Church, Cllr Daly, who is also the leader of Bury Conservatives, said: "When I got in touch with Mitchells and Butlers, the answer came back as 'definitely not, go away'. I then asked if a time limited arrangement could come into place. 'No was the answer again'.

"They said that in other areas they have schemes were they offer local businesses the chance to purchase spaces within the car park. They would then give the money to charity.

"I asked if they might consider doing this in six to 12 months time, but again they said no.

"In my opinion that car park is nowhere near full all the time, as they claim.

"I have been speaking to Greenmount Medical Practice and they would like to enter further negotiations to purchase some parking spaces for staff to release extra spaces in the surgery car park."