Nicholas Thomas Local Democracy Reporter
Free Christmas parking has been confirmed for a series of car parks in Newport city centre for nine weeks this winter.
Visitors to the council-owned car parks will have two hours’ free parking, and will only pay for any extra time they stay after that.
Members of the city council’s cabinet backed the plans at a meeting on Wednesday October 14, in a move they said would hopefully incentivise people to visit central Newport over the Christmas period and boost festive trade.
The council’s leader, Cllr Dimitri Batrouni, said free parking had been a “hot topic” among traders since he took the top job, and the council had listened to appeals for a scheme.
Cllr James Clarke noted the council had in recent years offered free parking on Saturdays, but the new scheme “takes it a step further” and would run seven days a week.
The free parking scheme will begin on Monday November 2 and will run up to and including Sunday January 3.
Council-owned multi-storey car parks at Kingsway and Park Square will be included in the scheme, along with car parks at Emlyn Street, Faulkner Road, Hill Street, Riverfront, and Stow Hill.
Cllr Clarke said free parking had “come up time and time again” in his meetings with Newport traders, and added the administration wanted to “support our businesses in tough times”.
But he said Newport’s residents would also have to play their part by taking advantage of the scheme and visiting the city centre this winter.
Cllr Emma Stowell-Corten added the measure would also give “a bit of breathing space” to residents juggling various costs, and urged people to visit Newport this Christmas, when many events are scheduled.
Ahead of the meeting, Conservative opposition leader Cllr Matthew Evans said he had long called for free Christmas parking and said the investment of £130,000 from the council’s reserves was “a small amount to support our traders and get the public onside”.
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