Free parking return approved

Free festive parking has been given the green light for Perth and Kinross shoppers once again.

The move will allow people to park their cars at all council-run parking facilities at no cost on each Saturday in December.

Parking charges will be lifted on December 4, 11, 18 and 25, at an estimated cost of £15,000 to Perth and Kinross Council.

A free festive parking offering has been in place since 2012/13, initially as a ‘Free After 2pm’ campaign.

Councillors gave the parking plan the go ahead at the council’s environment and infrastructure committee meeting on Wednesday last week.

Committee convener councillor Angus Forbes, a Conservative elected member for the Carse of Gowrie, said: “At the E&I committee we agreed to continue to support our high streets and our local businesses.

“On one hand we do have a climate emergency to deal with but we also have a high street emergency.

“We were able to win a vote to continue supporting our local high streets this year.

“Next year will be a different administration who may take a different view of this but it’s my view that now is not the time to abandon our high streets and I am hopeful this small amount of public money will help them recover from the pandemic.”

Strathearn Conservative elected member Cllr Roz McCall added: “It is really important that we make some soft changes as well as significant ones.

“The environment is our biggest concern and we are making many changes as a council in this capacity but as many people have mentally suffered from isolation due to the pandemic restrictions and businesses have equally suffered in loss of revenue.

“We want to encourage festive cheer, reduce the ‘bah-humbug’ and hopefully provide our residents and retailers a very merry Christmas.”