Parking will be free after 2pm in Derbyshire Dales District Council’s Ashbourne car parks from this coming Monday for the six-week school summer holidays – and the initiative will be extended as soon as possible to free parking from 12 noon during the summer break.
After a full meeting of the District Council decided to approve the parking concession - supported by Ashbourne Town Team - to make parking free from 2pm until Sunday 7 September after hearing that Derbyshire County Council’s transformation works in the town centre – part of the Ashbourne Reborn programme – had created unprecedented challenging conditions for the town’s traders. It’s likely to mean the District Council will lose in the region of £50,000 in car parking income and costs.
Parking will initially be free after 2pm in Ashbourne’s Bus Station, Cattle Market, Clifton Road, and Swimming Pool car parks as well as Shawcroft from 28 July, while the town’s pay and display machines and the PaybyPhone software are recalibrated to recognise free parking from noon. That process, which has to be carried out by contractors, could take up to two weeks.
All the machines already have a “free from 2pm” calibration due to the annual December free parking initiative that the District Council has operated for the past 17 years.
This new summer initiative will complement free parking already available in Ashbourne, which includes the largest free town centre car park in the Derbyshire Dales (the 119-space Cokayne Avenue car park). Parking is also free for the first 30 minutes in all the District Council’s town centre pay and display car parks, plus, all Derbyshire Dales residents have a parking permit enabling them to park free of charge in every District Council car park before 11am and after 3pm every day of the year.
The County Council is responsible for delivering the current Ashbourne Reborn highways and public realm project, with contractors Galliford Try carrying out works on their behalf. While the town and its car parks have remained open for business, key routes – including St John Street and Dig Street - through the town centre have been closed to traffic for several months.
The County Council is prioritising the re-opening of St John Street, which remains on track to open as planned in September, although the overall programme is now expected to complete in early November rather than late October.
The Ashbourne Reborn regeneration proposals originated from businesses and community groups within the town, and partnership work is ongoing with Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council and AshCom. In particular, the core Highways and Public Realm project was developed based on proposals to widen the footways and enhance the public realm put forward by Ashbourne Town Team, representing local businesses.
The District Council has offered advice and support to businesses throughout the period of construction. As well as four earlier public meetings to discuss the Ashbourne Reborn proposals, two further drop-in sessions were held in Ashbourne in June. And every week, businesses can raise concerns at weekly drop-ins at Galliford Try’s office on Dig Street.
In making their decision to approve afternoon free parking, District Councillors recognised that high streets have been operating within a difficult economic climate for some time.
Works in Ashbourne have also coincided with recent national changes to the minimum wage, national insurance, and a reduction in business rate relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses.
But last night’s meeting also recognised the current exceptional circumstances in Ashbourne, such as the scale of the works affecting a major proportion of the town centre; the significant period of disruption over the peak visitor season; and temporary closure of a key through route.
Derbyshire Dales District Councillor David Hughes, who Chairs the Ashbourne Reborn Programme Board said:
“While our own car park statistics show no reduction in usage year on year, we do acknowledge that some town centre businesses need help right now as it’s clear that visitors are not spending as much time in the town as was the case previously. To encourage even more visitors during the school summer holidays, we have listened to their request to offer free afternoon parking.
“Significant progress has been made in Ashbourne town centre, and it’s now clear to see the difference the transformation will make once finished. The proposals for Ashbourne Reborn originated from business and community groups within the town, and while we are all looking forward to the benefits the scheme is designed to deliver, we continue to work closely with partners to mitigate inevitable disruption while the improvements are carried out.”
Delivering a regeneration scheme in a compact and historic town centre was inevitably going to cause some disruption. The impact of the works was considered by the Highways and Public Realm Project Board (chaired by the County Council) and a works programme agreed which aims to allow the works to be completed in the most efficient, cost effective and safe manner.
Ashbourne Reborn is a £15.9m programme aimed at transforming Ashbourne town centre through significant improvements to highways and public realm and the development of the Link Community Hub. It is funded by UK Central Government via the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).
The District Council is the Accountable Body for Ashbourne Reborn, Derbyshire County Council is responsible for delivering the Highways and Public Realm project and Ashbourne Methodist Church the Link Community Hub. These partners work in collaboration with Ashbourne Town Team, Ashbourne Town Council and AshCom who brought forward proposals, identified opportunities and raised match funding for the original bid.
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