Has the free car parking trial worked?

Welshpool Town Council is asking shoppers and businesses whether the free Saturday car parking over the past six months has been worth it.

The ‘Pay What You Can’ initiative was introduced to encourage town centre footfall, and at a cost of £6,000 to the Welshpool tax payer they are now keen to evaluate the move and to decide whether to do it again next year.

The free Saturday parking will continue through to September 26 on Church Street Car Park, before the charges return.

Parkers had the option of paying a donation to park, but the early feedback was that not many were contributing.

Town Clerk Richard Williams said: “The response to the initiative in conversations with businesses and members of the public has generally been very positive, but anecdotal feedback alone isn’t enough for the Council to properly evaluate a scheme involving public money.

“We particularly need our town centre businesses to help us. We want to understand whether Saturdays have been busier, whether customers have stayed longer, and importantly whether businesses have seen any measurable difference in footfall or turnover.

“We have unfortunately received very few responses from businesses so far. Without that evidence it will be extremely difficult to assess the economic impact of the trial or make an evidence-based decision about whether the Town Council should provide any similar support in the future.

“If you run a business in Welshpool town centre, even if you don’t think the parking trial has made any difference at all, we really want to hear from you. Positive, neutral and negative feedback are equally important to the evaluation.”

The Council is gathering a range of information as part of the evaluation, including feedback from businesses and visitors alongside available information about use of the car park.

Members of the public who have used Church Street Car Park during the trial are also encouraged to complete the Council’s short visitor survey and explain whether the availability of free Saturday parking influenced their decision to visit Welshpool, how long they stayed and their experience of the scheme.

The remaining Saturdays provide a final opportunity to take advantage of the initiative before the trial ends later this month.

Feedback gathered during and immediately following the trial will be reported to Welshpool Town Council and will be central to councillors’ consideration of what, if any, future parking support should be provided.

Members of the public who have used the scheme can complete the short visitor survey here. 

Town centre businesses have been contacted separately and provided with a dedicated business monitoring survey. Businesses are encouraged to use the details contained in their letter to submit their feedback. If your business has not received a letter, contact Welshpool Town Council.