Photo Credit: Wrexham council
Wrexham will sacrifice £30,000 of revenue to offer more free parking over Christmas than ever before.
In recent years Wrexham County Borough Council has offered free car parking every Saturday in December to help support city centre retailers and events.
But this year the authority’s Executive Board has agreed to extend the scheme to bring more people into the city centre over the festive period.
Between November 26 and December 31 parking at Wrexham County Borough Council-run car parks at Waterworld, Wrexham Library, St George’s Crescent, Crescent Road, St Giles, The Guildhall and Market Street will be free from 9:30am-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays and free from 3pm-midnight from Sunday-Thursday.
Ty Pawb is once again excluded from the offer.
According to the report by Head of Service (Strategy) Gareth Jones, the move will lead to a loss of income for the authority of £30,000 which it will absorb through the Environment and Technical Department’s cash-limited budget.
Drivers with a disability Blue Badge will also have free parking throughout the city centre.
“I’ve been contacted by a number of businesses, city centre based over the last month or so asking for any help at all with free parking, so I’m glad we’ve be able to listen,” said the council’s Lead Member for Economy, Business and Tourism Cllr Nigel Williams.
“We have stepped up to the mark and we’ve actually extended the hours to what we normally have in the last couple of years with ‘free after three’ again, so I just urge all people to please come in and support city centre businesses.”
The council hopes free parking will attract people to engage with the programme of Christmas events in the city centre which includes Santa’s Grotto at Eagles Meadow, Saturday on the Square, Jingle Bells character walkabout, a charity community Christmas Show at Ty Pawb, a Christmas truck convoy, Arriva Santa Bus, Christmas Drumming Circle, the Hive Christmas Fayre and much more.
Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Andy Gallanders welcomed the announcement at Executive Board, but questioned why Sundays were not included in the extension.
“We have to make a decision and unfortunately built into that decision is the financial impact on this authority,” said council Leader Cllr Mark Pritchard.
“I have spoken to many businesses on this and they’re really grateful. They understand that we will lose revenue on this but we think it’s so important that we take that loss.
“We did have a conversation, should it by Friday or Sunday, but we felt that Friday would be more beneficial because there’s more footfall comes into the city centre on a Friday than on a Sunday.
“So I think it’s a fair, balanced judgement.”
