Free parking scheme set to be trialled in Peterborough
A trial scheme that would see parking made free in Peterborough is set to receive funding that will give it the go-ahead later this year.
The plan, which would also cover parts of Huntingdonshire, is being led by Paul Bristow, Mayor of the Peterborough & Cambridgeshire Combined Authority (CPCA).
In budget proposal papers set to be discussed at the CPCA’s scheduled Combined Authority meeting on January 28, the Conservative mayor outlined the reasoning behind the scheme:
“Our local centres need footfall to stay alive,” he stated. “For Peterborough… the cost of parking means customers lost to retail parks and online competition.”
Mr Bristow believes providing free parking would be a “massive step forward” describing the trial as a “prospective shot-in-the-arm for growth and jobs.”
The Mayor has been a long-standing supporter of free parking initiatives, making them a key pledge in his election manifesto in 2025.
“I know these local centres need a boost,” he said: “That’s why I made my case at the election, finding support for free parking from residents to be notable.
“Peterborough City Council has already said it would be willing to work with me to design a scheme.”
The report papers set to be discussed show the trial would initially be funded by an amount of £750,000 in 2026-27, followed by the same amount again in 2027-28.
The Mayor’s budgetary proposals will be approved unless at least two thirds of the members of the Board from constituent councils, present and voting, vote against it.
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