Green light for free summer parking in Ashbourne

A council report said concerns had been raised by businesses that some might not be able to "endure the disruption" during the main visitor season

Free parking will be introduced in Ashbourne after midday "as soon as possible" in a bid to help businesses survive a summer of roadworks.

Derbyshire Dales District Council, which is responsible for the £15.9m Ashbourne Reborn regeneration project, approved the proposal at a meeting on Thursday.

Councillor Joanne Linthwaite told the council chamber the roadworks in Ashbourne were having an "unprecedented" impact on businesses in the town.

Councillors approved measures on Thursday to scrap parking charges after 14:00 from 28 July and for parking to be free after 12:00 "as soon as possible" at the district council's car parks until 7 September.

The St John Street roadworks are due to end in September while others in Dig Street will now continue into November, the council said.

The authority previously said the regeneration works will help to "transform the pedestrian experience" with wider footways and new and improved crossings around the town centre.

'Simply not surviving'

Linthwaite said: "It's important to stress that Ashbourne town centre is shut down.

"It's not just the roads, it's the pavements. To get into the shops you're having to go over ramps, over pipes, over cables over trenches."

The Lib Dem councillor added that car parking income for the council for the last two years had been "significantly" higher than projected.

She added: "I don't think it's too much to ask that some of that money effectively is used to support businesses that may not survive the eight or nine months of this work."

"We're not just talking about incomes being reduced, we're talking about businesses simply not surviving."

A council report said concerns had been raised by businesses that some might not be able to "endure the disruption" during the main visitor season to benefit from the works in the longer term.

According to the report, 60% of businesses reported a decrease in turnover in 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.

It added: "Some business properties have become vacant during the construction period.

"While this is likely to be a result of a complex combination of factors and longer-term issues, anecdotally the works have been cited by business owners as a contributing factor."

According to the council, free parking after 14:00 would cost £25,000, including £22,000 in lost revenue, but would encourage people "to stay longer and spend more" in the town.

Steve Capes, director of place and economy at the council, told councillors that implementing free parking from midday would add about £20,000 to the cost of the scheme.