Free parking changes to come into effect in June

A free parking scheme will be launched across three towns after changes to fees were agreed by a council.

West Suffolk Council's cabinet unanimously backed plans to change fees on Monday, which are due to come into effect on 15 June.

The changes will see the first hour free in some car parks in Haverhill and Newmarket, and then free parking between 08:00 and 10:00 on Mondays at the Parkway multi-storey in Bury St Edmunds.

David Taylor, in charge of operations at the council, hoped the move would help improve high streets.

The decision follows a successful motion brought by the authority's Conservative Group during the February budget-setting period.

Cliff Waterman, the council's leader, said the authority was now working hard to make sure it was implemented "as quickly as possible".

The leader initially criticised the scheme for its price tag of up to £1.2m over two years, echoing concerns from other councillors in the administration.

He previously called the proposal "a crackpot idea".

Speaking after the meeting, Taylor said the council would do everything possible to support the scheme.

"We're going to really try and make it work, so fingers crossed – this is all about trying to support the high street and the wider areas of our towns."

New pay and display machines will be installed by the end of the month to facilitate the changes.

A consultation on the necessary traffic orders for the scheme was launched by the council last week, with comments allowed until Thursday 4 June.

Once launched, the authority will continually assess its impacts, measuring footfall, financial data and any unintended consequences.

Stephen Moody, a retail expert from Bury St Edmunds, told BBC Radio Suffolk's Sarah Lilley that short stay car parks and free parking "can make a huge difference to smaller towns because you're competing with the out of town retail parks".

"Free parking in smaller towns is absolutely key because you then have a choice whether you go to an out of town retail park or you pop into a town centre," he explained.

"So I think an hour free is really useful for people to pop in, maybe go to the bank, post office and potter around.

"But you can't have free for all, all day, because it leads to clogged streets, clogged car parks and nobody moves."

But he added that car parking charges were "key" to council finances and that free parking did not necessarily mean people would spend more of their money on the high street.

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