Proposal for two years of free parking wins backing

A bid to introduce free parking in Peterborough and parts of Huntingdonshire for two years has won approval.

Paul Bristow, mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, had put forward the plan in his budget proposal.

It also included a commitment to keep the mayoral council tax precept frozen at £36 a year for a Band D property. This money is used to support bus services in the area.

The board of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, which is made up of members from councils across the area, voted on Wednesday to approve the budget.

Bristow, a Conservative, pledged to explore free car parking in his election manifesto last year. During this week's meeting he said it would be an "economic regeneration measure" for those areas.

The initiative involves £750,000 being allocated for 2026/27 and another £750,000 for the following financial year.

No specific plans have been put forward but Bristow confirmed that areas in St Neots, St Ives and Huntingdon were being considered as well as Peterborough.

The proposals were welcomed by the leaders of Peterborough City Council, Labour's Shabinna Quyyum, and Huntingdonshire District Council, Liberal Democrat Sarah Conboy.

Quyyum said the city "suffers significant deprivation levels" and it was essential to increase footfall in the area.

She also highlighted that Peterborough did not have the "advantage of other options" such as park and ride sites.

Conboy welcomed the funding as it would support economic growth.

However, the leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Liberal Democrat Lucy Nethsingha, reiterated her previous concerns about the proposal being unfair on people elsewhere in Cambridgeshire, and labelled it an "extremely poor use of public money".

At the same combined authority meeting, it was agreed to withdraw the 13B Nosterfield End to Linton bus service and the 19A Cambridge to Landbeach service.

There will be consultations over the future of the 117 and 129 Ely to Upware and Ely to Black Horse Drove services and the 65 St Neots to Buckden route.

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