Bedford Borough Council has announced it will extend its four-hour free parking initiative until the end of January 2025 to support local businesses over the festive period.
The idea is that free parking encourages more visitors to its shops, markets, events, and cultural attractions in Bedford town centre.
They’ll also be including Lurke Street Multi-Storey Car Park in the initiative.
“The results of the initiative at Allhallows have been very encouraging and affirm our commitment to encouraging people to visit Bedford town centre,” said Councillor Andrea Spice (Conservative, Wixams & Wilstead), Portfolio Holder for Economic Growth, Planning and Prosperity at Bedford Borough Council.
“The increased footfall and positive feedback from businesses and visitors show how important initiatives like this are for supporting our local economy and we hope to go even further by adding Lurke Street to the list.”
The original trial ran solely at All Hallows Car Park from 1 August 2023.
The Council says they will continue to monitor the impact of free parking on Bedford town centre travel patterns and air quality and ensure it remains sustainable in the long term.
