Christmas shoppers to enjoy free parking
Christmas shoppers can enjoy ‘free from three’ parking in Newport on selected Thursdays in the run-up to the big day.
Shaping Newport is supporting Newport Business Association’s late-night Christmas shopping events by providing free parking.
The offer applies to short-stay car parks only, from 3pm (maximum stay three hours), on the following dates — 28 November, 5 December, 12 December and 19 December.
The Shaping Newport programme — a partnership between the Newport Business Association (NBA), the Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council and the Isle of Wight Council — has contributed £1,500 to cover the costs of the potential lost parking revenue.
In addition, the Isle of Wight Council is offering free parking in short-stay car parks in Newport on Saturday, 30 November and Saturday, 14 December. The offer applies from 12 noon and has been provided to help support businesses during the St Mary’s junction improvement works.
The council will also celebrate Small Business Saturday on 7 December by offering free parking in all its long-stay car parks across the Island from 12 noon.
Association chairman, John McLoughlin, said: “Newport Business Association is delighted to be working collaboratively with the Isle of Wight Council’s regeneration team on organising late-night shopping in Newport.
“The Shaping Newport project has enabled us to have input into changes that are being made in our county town and to put forward our suggestions for initiatives such as this as well as to be part of working towards positive change.
“I really hope that the free parking will encourage people to explore the independent shops in Newport and shop local this Christmas.”
A Shaping Newport survey of more than 3,000 people highlighted many issues and local priorities for change and parking provision ranked eighth as a priority for locals with 409 comments on the topic.
