Mayor's View: Free parking will help city centre thrive

With parking costs as high as they are, is it any wonder many head to places like Serpentine Green instead? Or simply click ‘buy now’ from the sofa?

When shoppers don’t have to pay to park they come to town more often, stay longer and spend more. How many shopping trips are cut short or avoided altogether because people feel ‘against the clock’?

Free parking was at the top of the list when I met with the City Council leader Cllr Dennis Jones in my first week after being elected. The Combined Authority, which I lead, and the city council, are now working on how we can make it happen.

If we’re serious about breathing life into Peterborough city centre – and we should be – then it’s a real no-brainer. And the facts speak for themselves.

Helen Dickinson, the British Retail Consortium boss, said this year that retail parks are outcompeting our high streets, and pointed to the “the enticement of free parking” as a key reason. We know, for example, how busy Serpentine Green can get, compared to town.

I believe many want to shop local and would do if it was cheaper to park. And many know a pound spent in town supports local high street businesses and jobs, unlike an online-only retailer.

We can’t turn the clock back on internet shopping, but visiting the city centre is also about the experience. And that experience is evolving.

Successful towns blend shopping with getting something to eat or drink and a visit to the theatre or cinema. It’s part of why I’m committed to building a new city centre community stadium. It’s a home for the Posh but will also be a top-class concert venue, and a long-overdue indoor pool for Peterborough.

I want to make Peterborough more attractive – a destination. Free parking is a crucial piece of the puzzle.

One of my core pledges as Mayor was to get Peterborough moving. The need for a thriving city centre is one of the reasons I’ll never support congestion charging here. It would be costly and unfair on people, and a disaster for the high street.

People in our city and villages often have no realistic choice but to drive. We shouldn’t punish them for it, especially when cost of living is high. Enough with the war on motorists – I’m putting a stop to it.

Yes, some car parks in Peterborough are privately-run, but many are council-owned. Of course, free parking won’t be “free” to deliver – but the return could be huge.

More people in town. More tourism. More spend and high street business growth. More jobs created and protected. And a buzzing, healthy city centre.

Peterborough, like high streets across the country, has borne the brunt of changing shopping habits. It’s now time to tip the scales back in favour of our city centre.

Free parking is a great place to start.