FREE Festive Parking for Newcastle-under-Lyme

FREE parking will be available in Newcastle-under-Lyme to encourage shoppers into town over Christmas.

From 18 November parking at Newcastle’s Midway car park will be free from 10am to 1pm every day. After 1pm it will cost just £1. Sunday parking is free all year round.

The free parking incentive will run throughout the Christmas and New Year period, up to 6 January 2023.

The ‘£1 after 1pm’ scheme proved very popular with shoppers last year and will be in place throughout the period when the Castle Artisan Market and the town’s festive events will take place.

The Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Simon Tagg, said: “The free festive parking offer has been very well received by shoppers in Newcastle. They have told us that it helps them to plan their shopping trips and gives them peace of mind on how long they can stay in town to do their shopping.”

The incentive was introduced as part of the Council’s Car Parking Strategy last year to help boost the town’s economy after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The strategy also looks at ways to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions and introduce new technologies, including electric vehicles charging points.

Stephen Sweeney, Cabinet member for finance, town centres and growth, said: “I support this incentive whole-heartedly. We know that free parking attracts shoppers and the £1 after 1pm is also a winner. We always listen to what our residents tell us. We know it will cost us around £55,000 in lost parking fees but our decision is based on incentivising local people to come in to town to do their shopping and to use local businesses – including the town’s market.”