Extended free parking would give real windfall

WHILE the free parking concession in September is very welcome, and will no doubt provide a boost to the town’s traders, one has to wonder whether more can be done.

We know from following the debacle over recycling collections that the district council has more than £600,000 burning a hole in its pockets from its Covid Funding Reserve, and it looks like that will now drip away helping a cash-rich firm entice HGV drivers.

And the timing of that could not be more unfortunate.

That government grant could have worked wonders if it was channelled towards the high street economy.

According to the district council’s report, if it had given everyone in the district allday free parking throughout September, it would have cost around £200,000.

And that suggests there would have been enough money in the Covid pot to extend the month’s parking concession throughout the entire autumn, linking up neatly with the usual December Christmas shopping incentive.

But instead, councillors have had to vote for the cheapest option. Free parking after 2pm for one month – at a cost of £45,000.

Of course we’re being a bit simplistic, but even though the district council’s chief executive doesn’t agree, we all know that reducing parking fees, or even suspending them, will be a real windfall for the town’s traders.

And the proof of that will be in the pudding by the end of September.

Ashbourne’s Town Team, which should be congratulated for convincing the district council to discuss this concession in the first place, will be closely monitoring the benefits it will bring.

We’ll be snapping at their heels on October 1, waiting for them to crunch the numbers and to see what effect it has had.

And then all eyes will be on the district council and whether there’s any money left in the pot to repeat the gesture.