Free Christmas parking plan to help Rotherham traders

The initiative, to be considered by Cabinet member Cllr Gerald Smith at a meeting next Monday, would involve Rotherham Borough Council-owned car parks being made free each Saturday from November 19 until Christmas Eve.

The free parking would be accompanied by a “comprehensive marketing and communications plan” costing £8,000, to “inform shoppers and residents of the free parking incentive.”

It is estimated that the scheme would lead to the authority losing £4,000 in parking charges for each Saturday during the festive period.

In a report to Monday’s meeting, the council’s retail investment manager Bernadette Rushton says that free parking incentives had been introduced in Rotherham in previous years as a “means of driving footfall during the festive period and supporting town centre retailers.”

But other schemes, such as free parking after 3pm, were previously dropped because of “budget pressures.”

Ms Rushton added that the recent visit to Rotherham by retail guru Mary “Queen of Shops” Portas found that one of the key challenges facing town centres across the country is the “incomparable parking charges offered at out-of-town centres.”

Ms Rushton’s report goes on: “This is particularly pertinent to Rotherham, given the proximity to Parkgate and Meadowhall and the recent recognition of the extent of Rotherham’s competition, which ranked Rotherham as having the highest level of retail competition of 200 centres surveyed.

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“Rotherham has welcomed a recent upturn in footfall figures and a reduction in vacancy rates.

“This can be to some extent attributed to a number of projects and initiatives aimed at regenerating the town centre, including the business vitality grants scheme, Shop Local, public realm improvements, events and entertainment.

“Free parking in the run-up to Christmas would complement these projects and initiatives and would provide a further incentive for shoppers to choose Rotherham.”

Poor Christmas trade could have a “significant impact” on traders and a temporary incentive would benefit retailers.

If agreed, parking meters in council-owned car parks would be taped up prior to shoppers parking on Saturday mornings and removed before the following Monday but any “maximum stay” restrictions will still apply.

Ms Rushton’s report adds: “The communications plan will clearly promote the participating car parks and the periods to which it relates.

“There is a risk that shoppers and workers will not understand why car parking is not free all day and why the maximum stay still applies.

“The aim is to ensure that as many people as possible benefit from the scheme and to ensure the usual turnover of vehicles, to provide maximum benefit to retailers.”