Festive free car parking starts in district today
FESTIVE free parking begins today, with all of Ashbourne’s car parks free to use after 2pm daily.
The district council promotion, aimed at giving traders a boost in the run up to Christmas, has been running for 14 years and it will run throughout the month of December.
Derbyshire Dales District Council agreed on reintroducing it again earlier in the year, although some councillors remarked on the authority’s 2030 net-zero carbon emissions target, and spoke of concerns over encouraging people to travel to the shops by car.
This year the authority is spreading a message urging people to consider using public transport, car sharing, cycling and walking for their Christmas shopping, where possible.
A spokesman for the authority said: “The free parking initiative was introduced by the District Council in 2008 to help local residents and businesses during the economic recession.
“However, district councillors have agreed this year that equal promotion should be given to encouraging low-emission alternatives to driving into dales towns.” The authority has also highlighted its network of electric car charging stations, which include eight 7kw stations in Shaw Croft Car Park.
Cycle racks are also available behind the public conveniences in Shaw Croft and at Ashbourne Leisure Centre, the spokesman added. Free parking in December comes on top of residents’ parking concessions that allow local people to park free every day of the year up to 11am and after 4pm.
Free parking permits were issued to all 34,000 households across the Derbyshire Dales back in March.
Parking was also free after 2pm in all the council’s pay and display car parks throughout September , thanks to lobbying by Ashbourne Town Team, which discovered following a survey that it had had a very positive effect on trade.