The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Free Saturday parking returns to boost trade
Council pledges to end confusion which caused anger in past
A free parking initiative aimed at giving shopkeepers a welcome seasonal boost will return next month.
And Perth and Kinross Council has pledged to end confusion after hundreds of drivers were penalised for parking in areas which they believed were free.
Traders said the inaugural Free Saturdays campaign was a big hit and helped encourage shoppers to stay longer in places like Perth, Kinross and Blairgowrie.
A survey showed overwhelming support for the programme from shopkeepers, who also said it had helped increase business.
But this time round, more effort will be made to show which sites are part of the programme.
Kinross councillor Willie Robertson, who previously said the promotion was misleading, said he was pleased that changes were being made.
Council chiefs are taking “great pains” to avoid a repeat of chaos and confusion that marred a pioneering free Christmas parking scheme in Perth and Kinross.
Car parks across the region were opened free-of-charge on Saturdays throughout December in 2017, as part of a campaign to get till bells ringing in the run-up to Christmas.
As councillors get ready to approve details of this year’s scheme, a new study reveals the initiative was overwhelmingly supported by traders, with many reporting a positive impact on their business.
But changes will be made this time after more than 330 motorists were ticketed for parking in areas which were not part of the promotion. There was criticism it was not made clear which sites were free.
Members of the environment and infrastructure committee will be told next week “all steps” will be taken to make the promotion crystal clear.
Payment machines will be covered up at participating car parks, while a video will be posted on social media to let shoppers know which sites are available.
Councillors will also hear that although 84% of retailers who took part in a survey said the promotion had a “positive impact” on trade, footfall across the region actually fell by 4.5%.
Dawn Fuge, co-chairwoman of the local traders association, said: “It was a very successful event and I’m looking forward to it coming back.
“I was surprised to hear footfall was down, because the general feeling was the city was much busier on those Saturdays.”
She said: “We will be taking great pains to make sure it is very clear where you can and cannot park this time. A lot of people were caught out last year and we don’t want that to happen again.
“It’s shaping up to be a really good Christmas for Perth. Things really seem to have picked up in the last year or so.”
Kinross-shire Lib Dem councillor Willie Robertson, who criticised the plan last year, said: “If you tell people there’s free parking, then you book drivers for not buying a ticket, then that doesn’t seem fair. ”
A report by performance and support manager Hunter Hope suggests the promotion will cost the council around £25,000 in lost revenue. She added: “Evidence from the Perth Traders Association shows the lower footfall does not necessarily equate to lower sales. In fact some businesses reported they had strong December trading.
“The key learning from last year’s promotion was related to taking all steps possible to make it clearer what the parking offer is, and which locations are included and excluded.”
A total of 28 car parks will participate, but on-street sites at Perth’s Cherry Lane, Union Street, Black Watch Gardens and Victoria Street won’t be free.
We will be taking great pains to make sure it is very clear where you can and cannot park this time. DAWN FUGE