Free Parking: Will new city centre scheme run during Peterborough United matches?
After months of talking, the new free parking scheme was finally launched in Peterborough in August.
The initiative sees motorists able to park for free in a number of Peterborough city centre car parks at certain times of the week.
It is hoped that the trial – which is part of a joint agreement between the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) and Peterborough City Council – will have a positive impact on the evening economy.
Now it has been clarified that the scheme will be running when Peterborough United are playing at home – despite the amount of money football car parking brings into the authority.
Posh home matches bring big numbers of fans to the city centre – with the Pleasure Fair Meadow car park being particularly popular with football supporters.
Streets surrounding the Weston Homes Stadium are also often busy with fans looking for somewhere to park for the match.
In 2025, The Peterborough Telegraph revealed that one in ten parking tickets issued in the city were handed out on Peterborough United match days.
A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said: “Free parking is available on weekdays after 3pm in Bishops Road, Car Haven, Riverside and Pleasure Fair Meadow car parks. If football matches take place during that time then football fans would be able to park for free.
“When the scheme was presented to the CPCA as a costed option this would have been considered, as well as other periods of increased income such as during the Christmas period. Therefore, the funding provided by the CPCA for this scheme should cover its costs.”
A total of £891,667 of the Mayor’s budget has been set aside for the scheme, which will run until the end of March 2028.
Free parking is not available for supporters at weekends – and it is not available on matches played in the afternoon on a weekday (on bank holidays, for example).
The first weeknight home Posh match of the new season is currently scheduled to be the clash with Stevenage on Tuesday, September 1.