Money allocated for £1.5m free car parking trial

A mayor's plans to make parking free in Peterborough and parts of Huntingdonshire have advanced after he allocated £1.5m to the scheme.

Paul Bristow, the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, put forward the money for two years in his latest budget proposal.

The papers also included a commitment to keep the mayoral council tax precept frozen at £36 a year for a Band D property.

A meeting of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Board will meet on Wednesday to discuss the budget.

Bristow, a Conservative, pledged to explore free car parking in his election manifesto in 2025.

In the papers, he wrote: "Too many local centres are on the brink of rapid decline, facing new competition and higher costs.

"A charge for parking can often be the difference between using those shops, restaurants and facilities or heading out of town instead – or just going online."

Bristow suggested £750,000 would be spent on the trial in both the 2026-27 and 2027-28 financial years.

The budget proposals did not specify any particular projects or trials, just a commitment for a pot of money to be allocated to it.

Bristow said detailed business cases would be required once any scheme was fully developed.

"Free parking is a prospective shot in the arm for growth and jobs," he added.

The mayor's plans were criticised by Cambridgeshire County Council leader Lucy Nethsingha at a previous combined authority meeting.

"I don't think it's reasonable to expect council taxpayers from across the whole of Cambridgeshire to pay for free car parking in some areas and not other areas," she said.

Concerns about how it would affect the viability of bus services were also raised.

The budget is due to be voted on at the meeting on Wednesday.

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