A NEW town centre car parking strategy will launch next month - and bosses say it will make parking more affordable.
The current split of car parks between commuter and retail and leisure will be scrapped with all car parks having a simplified offer of £1 per hour during the week and £5 for a maximum of 24 hours.
Free weekend parking will be available for three hours in all the car parks in the town centre that are not on a street, bar the Glass Works and the Alhambra.
Coun James Higginbottom, cabinet spokesperson for environment and health, said: “The new car parking strategy for the town centre sets out our vision for affordable and sufficient parking for the foreseeable future.
“By bringing together all car parks in the town centre under a simplified pricing strategy, reducing the maximum charge per day and continuing to offer free weekend parking in all our town centre car parks outside of our multi-story facilities, we want to ensure that the town centre will remain an attractive and accessible destination for all visitors, investors and developers.
“Our town centre attracted over two million visits in the last quarter between April and June and with a host of big events such as Bright Nights and the Christmas market to come, this strategy will allow the town centre to continue to thrive and provide the best possible experience for residents and visitors.”
