Mayor proposes assigning £1.2m to fund free parking

Parts of Huntingdonshire and Peterborough could get free parking for a period of two years, the county's mayor said

A mayor has proposed allocating £1.2m to offer free parking for two years in parts of the county.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) said the funds would go towards free parking in Peterborough and parts of Huntingdonshire.

Paul Bristow, the Conservative mayor of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, said he had been in discussions with Peterborough City Council about introducing the measure, but a deal was yet to be made and he has since hinted towards working with a private operator instead.

The city council said that for the mayor to introduce free parking in the city centre seven days a week, it would require a funding commitment of £3.4m.

Bristow promised to introduce free parking in Peterborough as part of his election manifesto, claiming it would improve footfall in the city centre and support shops.

He said he intended to delegate £600,000 per year towards it in Peterborough and Huntingdonshire.

Considering proposals

A spokesperson for the CPCA said: "Within the draft Medium Term Financial Plan and Budget published on Tuesday, the combined authority proposes to allocate a total of £1.2m over 2026–28 to deliver the mayor's plan for free parking in Peterborough and Huntingdonshire.

"The proposals also include maintaining the mayoral precept at its current Band D equivalent level of £36. These proposals will be considered by the Combined Authority Board at its meeting on Wednesday."

Shabina Qayyum, the leader of Peterborough City Council, said: "This is money that the council relies on to pay for the delivery of essential services to the public. It is income that we – and our taxpayers – cannot afford to give up.

"However, we want to work with the combined authority mayor on this – even if the offer on the table is not the full £3.4m."

Qayyum said that in anticipation of a future meeting, the council was working on a number of proposals offering free parking at specific times, days and locations that could be provided for £600,000 of CPCA funding per year instead.

"We would also want part of this funding to be used for the Tiger bus pass, which allows heavily subsidised bus journeys for under-25s," she added.