Warwick and Leamington Spa to offer free parking for festive shoppers

The parking package agreed by the council runs through December and also into January in Leamington Spa

Shoppers are set to be able to park for free at weekends around Warwick and Leamington Spa in the run up to Christmas.

Warwick District Council confirmed the plans at its cabinet meeting, acknowledging footfall was struggling in town centres.

Spaces at Riverside House and Milverton Hill will be opened up and free to use each weekend in December.

There will be no charge on Sundays at other council car parks.

Traders in south Leamington will also hopefully benefit from the cost of long stay parking being more than halved to £3 in the New Year, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Difficult to justify'

Councillor Liam Bartlett, portfolio holder for economy and culture, told the meeting: "We need to acknowledge that footfall is struggling in town centres. 

"There is an acknowledgment that some of the decisions we have made, for the right reasons, to increase car parking charges to protect income are potentially having an impact on the footfall in town centres particularly, and the free parking now available in places like the Leamington Retail Park just compounds the issue.

"The other issue is the impact it has on recruitment and the ability of town centre businesses to recruit staff when they come into work all day.

"For those people it is very difficult to justify £7 per day [for parking]."