Free car parking trial in Peterborough is under way

A trial of free parking in four Peterborough car parks starts on Monday.

Drivers can park for free on weekdays after 15:00 in Bishops Road, Car Haven, Riverside and Pleasure Fair Meadow car parks.

The trial is taking place after Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor Paul Bristow offered funding of nearly £900,000.

The money was accepted by Peterborough City Council last month, and the trial will run until the end of March 2028.

Bristow, a Conservative, pledged to introduce the policy during his election campaign and last year committed £1.5m in his budget to free parking in Peterborough and Huntingdonshire.

A scheme for free parking in Huntingdonshire was discussed by councillors in the district last week.

Peterborough City Council operates 11 off-street car parks. Most of them charge users between 07:00 and 20:00, generating about £2.7m a year for the local authority.

The council said the free parking scheme could lead to a loss of nearly £550,000 a year.

Bristow said he committed the money as "the city centre needs a lift", and "a busier high street and more people choosing to come into the city for an evening out will be great for local businesses and great for the local economy".

Shabina Qayyum, the Labour leader of the city council, welcomed the initiative and also addressed concerns about the impact on more environmentally-friendly modes of transport.

"Assurance was given that investment will continue in schemes which promote active travel," she told the council last month.

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