Free parking aims to lure visitors to town
PARKING in a South Wales town centre will be free at weekends until the end of the year.
In a bid to support the local economy by encouraging people to shop local this Christmas, Merthyr Tydfil council and the Business Improvement District (Bid) have agreed to introduced free parking in all town centre car parks on Fridays and Saturdays from November 13 until December 31.
With both Friday and Saturday parking set to be free, the council estimates is that this would cost it £5,680, based on 2019 figures, from November 13 to December 24.
The council also considered free parking on Fridays or Saturdays but has opted to introduce it for both and parking is already free on Sundays.
If free Saturday parking had been chosen, the council estimated the cost would have been £950 between November 14 and December 13, based on 2019 figures and taking into account the contribution from the Bid.
If the free Friday parking option had been chosen, the cost is estimated to have been £4,730 between November 13 and December 24, based on 2019 figures and taking into account the Bid contribution.
The figures for Friday exclude Christmas Day and New Year’s Day which are both on a Friday this year.
Cabinet member for finance at the council, councillor Andrew Barry said: “The aim of the free parking is to boost the local economy both by increasing trade and supporting employment within the town. We hope that by not having to pay for parking or have their time in the town centre limited, shoppers can relax and enjoy our extensive and diverse range of shops, cafes, pubs and restaurants.”
Huw Williams, chair of The Big Heart of Merthyr Tydfil Business Improvement District, said: “We urge residents to shop safe and shop local over the Christmas period.”