Free Parking for Xmas?

I could name one town In Wales (Cwmbran) that offers 300 FREE PARKING spaces everyday which all places should have. I know this because I use to sub contract the ASDA there maintaining the floor. The Councils are all ripping us off with the meter maids. No wonder I shop online now.

My local town only has 1 paid car park and that's £1 a day. I hate paying for parking

My husband has a disable badge so don’t pay for parking. They do a park and ride in our area but think if you have done all your Christmas shopping it’s going to be difficult getting it home on a bus then transferring it all to your car.

If I remember correctly where I am there’s a big Tesco that sometimes have free parking in the lead up to Xmas on a weekend I think it is

Yeovil has a large Tesco at the top of town with a lot of parking spaces and its free parking for up to 2 hours. There is no actual need to shop in Tesco at all, you don't have to verify your registration number or anything. Also Sunday is a free parking day in most of the town centre car parks and that is every sunday of the year. I live about a 10 minutes walk from the town centre so often walk in for the exercise. At the moment I'm not walking in though due to nerve damage caused by the flu vaccine that I had over a month ago so still hobbling about but looking forward to walking normally again hopefully in the new year. So at the moment I'm making use of free parking at Tesco once a week.

I think that this is a great idea, our town usually offer free parking for the week before Christmas, other than that we also have a car park that offers 2 hrs free parking all year round.

Luckily there is plenty of free parking if you know the area and where to go near our town centre , not that I go there much

Our town offers either free parking in December or park all day for £1.

Definitely but my local town centre is rubbish hardly any shops and what's there is naff to be honest

Would be an incentive to get people out and about and hopefully spending. Makes a lot of sense

I don't drive but that seems more than reasonable to me.

I really wish they would I've been issued with 2 parking fines in the past few months, and I know for a fact I wasn't illegally parked or causing an obstruction

Yes they should December should be a free month to park everywhere get people into the Christmas spirit. Shopping centres buzzing with shoppers … parking right now is expensive and put people off going to town

Yes they should offer free parking in all the towns. That would help independent shops etc from closing and stop people from going to out of town like the White Rose centre, Meadowhall etc.I know Morrison's used to do free parking in Leeds city centre.

Our town used to give an hour free every Wednesday and it made a huge difference. Unfortunately they stopped it after a while but even having that amount made me shop more in-store. I think they should all do something like this.

A great idea. Do most shopping online or travel to city by train which is fine but if you have a lot of shopping then difficult. Wishaw on North Lanarkshire Scotland which is a very small town. The other week there were 5 council parking officers doing the rounds to slap tickets on cars. The town is becoming very run down and full of charity shops betting shops pubs and pound shops. Many of the big high Street names have moved out. If free parking or even a nominal charge for a day was introduced I think more people would shop local.

Yes, and out local council already does that in certain car parks on the run up to Christmas.

If you want more business during the xmas period, then yes. Otherwise, people will just buy online

Will people who don't drive or have a car get free public transport or free taxis as well?

1. paisley is Scrooge at any time never mind xmas They give 1hr free but that far from shops in a town that is struggling it’s a joke

Why should it be different at Christmas. People have birthdays all year, Easter etc etc. If you need shopping then choose before you pay for parking

I usually go to a small nearby town that has some sort of private collaboration that lets people park free up to 3 hours at a time. Anything over is charged but I find it plenty of time. The main big town I only go rarely and either get a bus or park after 3 pm in residential side roads. They have permit restrictions but I can usually get done what I want after 3 as shops are open until 5.30. Otherwise retail parks usually have parking for particular store but still limited but enough. I rarely pay to park anywhere local. If I don’t know the area and away I might pay and display sometimes but look for the cheapest.

I don't drive, but if they did this, I think it would help lots of people that do.

Our town council has paid the county council (give me strength what a bureaucratic farce, when it’s our money anyways) for two days of free parking the 14th & 21st December. The council couldn’t even support small business Saturday on the 7th! Although one day when you need small businesses supported everyday.

We do get Sundays free unlike where my parents live and their council is only giving the 4th and 7th December.

No doubt they’re all giving themselves a pat on the back for “giving” these days. I get annoyed as tax payers we don’t any say on anything.

I firmly believe if there was widespread free parking the high street would have more people. The amount of cars in the retail parks always proves the point but council staff seem to not see it.

I’ve had two weeks off work and will I be going into town today, no because I have to pay, I’m going out of town to the parks instead.

We have one smaller town in my county which like TiaTia has free parking for 2 hours and another where it’s free all day and there are even signs as you approach telling you and they want you to stop and spend. If only the others would follow suit.