Derbyshire Dales District Council has confirmed that parking will be free from 12 noon in its Ashbourne pay & display car parks from this coming Monday, 11 August, for the remainder of the six-week school summer holidays until 7 September.
It's currently free to park after 2pm in Ashbourne following a decision by the District Council last month recognising the current exceptional circumstances in the town centre caused by Derbyshire County Council's improvement works as part of the partnership Ashbourne Reborn programme.
Since implementing the free from 2pm initiative on 28 July, the Council has been recalibrating Ashbourne's pay and display machines and the PaybyPhone software to recognise free parking from noon. All the machines already have a “free from 2pm” calibration due to the annual December free parking initiative we have operated for the past 17 years, which meant it was simple to implement that concession following the decision at the 24 July full council meeting.
The parking concession - supported by Ashbourne Town Team - was agreed after councillors heard that the town centre transformation works were creating "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.
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.
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.”
Parking will be free from 12 noon in Ashbourne’s Bus Station, Cattle Market, Clifton Road, and Swimming Pool car parks as well as Shawcroft.
Derbyshire Dales residents can also use their parking permit to park free before 11am and after 3pm every day of the year. Parking is free too for the first 30 minutes in all of the District Council's town centre pay and display car parks across the Derbyshire Dales.
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