Mayor's View: Free parking is all set for the summer holidays

With the summer holidays fast approaching, I’m pleased that my plan for free parking is set to launch in time to help families and visitors enjoy the city centre at less cost, writes Combined Authority Mayor Paul Bristow.  

Starting on August 3, four Peterborough City Council-owned car parks will be offering free parking after 3pm between Monday and Friday. It’s part of my plan – an election pledge – to get more people to into our city and explore all it has to offer.  

And school summer holidays are a good place to start. Entertaining children over the 6-week break can feel like a hard task, but Peterborough city centre can help. There’s our fantastic Lido, theatres with productions taking place all the time, our Cathedral with plenty on, and many other events to keep the little ones busy right on your own doorstep.  

The free parking scheme, which will be run as a time-limited trial subject to approval at Peterborough City Council’s cabinet on July 21, is about giving this city a needed lift.  It’s good for residents and it’s good for jobs, businesses and our local economy.  

With the scheme coming in over the school break, families can involve themselves in some summer highlights and at a lower cost. Trips out can be expensive, but free parking can help make them a bit more affordable.  

Peterborough has a lot to offer; people just need to get out and see it. That goes beyond just local people. This year I've been pushing Peterborough and the region as a tourist destination. We’ve just secured Local Visitor Economy Partnership status which means we are looking to work with the government and tourism partners to create a clear plan that will help grow the visitor economy and hospitality sectors in our region. Peterborough has a massive part to play in that. 

And this is just a step in my wider plans to regenerate and revive the city, and I want to make it a place that people want to visit, explore and tell their friends about. Main building work on Peterborough Station Quarter is kicking off, transforming the gateway to the city.  

I will be continuing to push this year for a Mayoral Development Corporation to bring forward the powers to deliver the regeneration this city needs and deserves. Schemes like free parking sit as part of a bigger picture which is about investing in this city’s future. 

Funding free parking is via money I set aside in my Mayoral budget, so I will be closely monitoring the results to see how much of an impact this has in getting people back onto the high street.  

I hope as many of you as possible take advantage of free parking this summer.