Parking is made cheap for Torbay shoppers

CUT-PRICE parking will be introduced in the hope of tempting Christmas shoppers to spend their seasonal cash in Torbay.

From December 1 to Christmas Eve, there will be reduced fees in selected Torbay Council car parks, allowing shoppers and visitors to pay for an hour and stay for the day. This is the third year in a row that the council has offered the parking promotion to support local businesses during the festive period.

Research conducted by

Torbay’s development agency the TDA found that around 40% of high street businesses in the bay did not have a website, and as businesses without a web presence rely solely on customers visiting in person, the Christmas parking offer is a way in which the council is encouraging people to support local businesses, particularly after a difficult couple of years.

Council leader Steve Darling said: “I’m delighted that this initiative is launched just in time to help with Small Business Saturday when people are encouraged to support independent traders.

“Local businesses are at the heart of Torbay, and we want to make it as easy as we can for people to shop locally and support local business. Despite the influx of visitors we’ve had over the summer, it has been another hard year for some of our local businesses, and we still must all do all we can to support them.”

The scheme will run in Torquay’s Lower Union Lane and Union Square car parks, at Paignton’s Victoria multi-storey car park, and in Brixham at Central, Freshwater and Oxen Cove car parks.