BUDGET CUTS: Free parking could be axed
Free parking in the town centre could be axed in the autumn when funding dries up, council chiefs have warned.
Rotherham Borough Council said that funding for its Free After 3 scheme was only guaranteed until October and money for free Saturday parking could run out in December.
The news came as council leader Roger Stone revealed that it needed to make £11 million in cuts from this year's budget.
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Hide AdIn a statement issued today, the council said: ""It is hoped that free Saturday parking can continue until the end of the calendar year, covering the Christmas period which is a crucial time for the retailers.
"Both schemes were at risk of being withdrawn immediately as a result of the withdrawal of the funding from central Government."
On the plus side, a planned increase in parking charges has been deferred until next year.