To think Free Parking is the answer to revive our town centres?

[Jumell]

I’ve been thinking a bit about this lately.

Whenever I thought about going to the city centre where I used to live, to shop/browse etc - the main thing that would stop me going was the thought of paying for parking - I’d just think - ‘nah’ - and not bother going in.

i think that if the Govt took the initiative to scrap all charges from car parking companies - NCP/Councils etc etc in town centres / high streets - it would massively revive these shopping centres that we all knew and loved?

Yeah , you've solved it.... Congrats

Potentially, but I can't see these companies wanting to run the car parks for free - Councils are on their knees as is!

Loads of town centres need less traffic.

They need to make them nice places to socialise, that's what they'll end up being.

I'd go in a lot more if I didn't have to pay. Not just because I mind paying but having to decide in advance how long you are going to stay. Pay for two hours, then you can't spontaneously have a coffee with a friend you meet at 1h45. Get your hair done, you need to rush back straight afterwards instead of shopping.
Affordable parking or two hours for the price of one would please me.
I usually cycle into town but then I can't carry stuff and only go when the weather is nice.

Maybe if you're talking about very rural towns.
Big towns should have better public transport and park and rides.

I don't think parking is the real problem. People shop online or in out of town centres and the town centres become a bit sad. Shops and banks move to the bigger towns. Closure of post offices and banks is really bad I think.

Bette to attract interesting shops, good cafes and pubs.

Who is paying for the upkeep of the parking areas/buildings?

Most of the parking I've been to is on an app, it. Sends you reminders and you can extend the session very easily

Good question - volunteers or it could come out of taxes ?

Nah. I don't go into town because I can't be arsed. Nothing to do with parking. It's just easier, cheaper and more variety online.

We have free parking on Sundays in the runUp to Christmas
everyone who works in city centre parks there less parking than when u charge

It doesn’t work. Our town suspended parking charges and restrictions for a few months once. All that happened was that workers took all the spaces all day and shoppers couldn’t park.

Or just let people pay for whatever time they've been parked there when they leave the car park.
This thing of having to decide in advance is silly especially when people claim they take the car over public transport for flexibility and convenience.

Volunteers won't pay for the resurfacing or painting or insurance or whatever

It would have to come out of local council funds.

Better to make it more attractive in the first place.

Will public transport be free for everyone too?
All the town centres I know where you have to pay for parking the cost is around £2.50 ish for about 3 hours.
Cheaper than most buses (even with the £2 price cap because you have to pay twice).
If you are lucky enough to be able to afford to run a car - pay your 3 quid or whatever to park.
Cheapskate 😂

Fair point - but would they do it knowing the level of affection in which the public hold shopping centres - could increase affluence in society generally - which would benefit them long term!

Why should all taxpayers pay to encourage you to pollute the local area though? Unless you're very rural, we should be prioritising active transport and public transport.

I don't care about parking costs but I do care about the fact that there are no shops worth visiting once I do park.
Chicken and egg situation maybe but our local town centre is dire since M&S closed. If I want something other than vape shops and Bargain type shops I have to go somewhere else

Still no shops worth going for in my town and the nearby retail parks and outlet takes the business away.

Why is it the government’s responsibility to generate business for city centres? People will still spend money if it’s out of town - it’s just moving the spending from one place to another.

Free parking for the first 2-3 hours rather than all day (and/or timing such as the free parking starts after 10am) would help to fix that though.

So this has been our argument for YEARS there is a particular out of town development that offers free parking and loads of shops when it was built we all said we will lose our town centres unless something is done in many cases our shop rental was equal to if not more than this out of town development gradually our town died off and the response was to put car park prices up even more even though many people would not go in because we don't have a lot of shops they say the car parks are always full which one actually is but it's full of staff and people using the gym it's not full of shoppers!

They have just announced their yearly incentive to shop locally it's one hour free parking between three thirty and four thirty so no good to parents who want to Christmas shop because they have their kids with them at that time they have also not long put the prices up I'm going to abandon the little aldi and town shop in favor of big aldi (free parking) because I can't justify paying nearly three quid for food that may or may not be cheaper

I think Town Centres have gone past that point now and sadly, no longer viable as an option for our shopping. As a PP said, they will become socialising places. In any case, it's public transport thats needed, not more cars.

Because it's not good for town centres to die. People need a social centre too.

Have you visited a city center recently? Same old tires chain shops because independents can't afford a physical shop, vape shops coffee shops pubs, and charity shops galore across most towns & cities
The revenue from parking is huge. Why would they want to miss out

Park and rides or free buses would be better for the environment. We don’t want more traffic in city centres.