People will still pay to park - even though it is free!

SHOPPERS in Yeovil will be able to enjoy free afternoon parking in the town centre over the festive season – but councillors fear that people will still put their money into the machines!

Councillors have agreed this morning (Thursday, December 5, 2013) to allow for people to park for free in Yeovil car parks from 2pm onwards between Monday, December 16, and Thursday, December 26, and then again free all day on New Year’s Day.

Members of South Somerset District Council’s District Executive heard that the scheme – which is being run as a trial – will cost the authority nearly £38,000 in lost car parking revenue.

But some did say, however, that unless there was proper signage to tell people that after 2pm it will be free to park – shoppers will still put their money into the parking meters.

Councillors were told that it was too late in the day to organise getting covers to put over the machines and so would be relying on good signage.

PHOTO - RIGHT: Councillors are worried that people will still pay to use car parks in Yeovil - even when they are free to use.

Cllr Jo Roundell Greene said: “I hope it is made very very clear that people don’t have to pay.”

Council leader, Cllr Ric Pallister, said: “We will do the best we can as there is nothing more annoying than putting money into a car park machine and then finding out it is actually free to park.

“But people are creatures of habit.”

The move is to try and encourage more shoppers into the town centre to do their Christmas shopping and to support traders – but councillors are not entirely convinced it will work.

Cllr Pallister said that free car parking in others part of the county had made “no difference” whatsoever to trading figures.

And Cllr Tim Carroll said: “Not many of us are convinced that free car parking will have an impact on the level of trading – but we should trial it and see what happens.”

Council officers will be in discussions with traders after the festive season to see if free parking made a difference to them.

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