Free parking until 11am on Saturdays to stay

Free parking until 11am on Saturdays is about to become the norm in Palmerston North.

The city council has ditched the idea of a 12-month extension to a trial that began in February, and voted 9-5 on Monday to make the arrangement permanent.

A separate trial of extending parking time restrictions at the meters from two hours to three hours has grown into a year-long trial of having no time limits at all, so long as people pay for their parks.

Mayor Grant Smith, who had earlier campaigned for an hour’s free parking for everyone, said the council had been slow to make decisions about improving the parking regime. ‘‘This council has not been nimble on this subject. These trials have worked, and the cost is minimal, and I applaud those councillors who supported them.’’

Smith said the changes would make shopping and spending time in central Palmerston North more attractive for locals and visitors.

The trial of no time limits was unanimously supported. The two hours free on Saturdays was less popular.

Councillors Susan Baty and Rachel Bowen said the trial should continue and information should be gathered to show what impact it had. Chris Teo-sherrell said he did not support the free parking that had been trialled to support the proposed move of the Albert St markets to Broadway, a development that was no longer a prospect. He said it would set a precedent for making other ad hoc decisions about free parking on other days, at other times. But Cr Billy Meehan said the council did not need to wait any longer. ‘‘It’s time to make a decision rather than just changing things around. It’s not hard, and we need to get something positive happening for a change.’’

The free parking on Saturdays would continue. However, it would take up to four weeks and $14,000 to set up the meters, signs and sensor software for the abolition of time limits.