Eight pay-and-display car parks across Salford will be free of charge on the next three Saturdays in December.

Shoppers will be able to use the car parks in Eccles, Monton, Pendleton and Swinton for free on Saturday 8th December, Saturday 15th December and Saturday 22nd December.

Salford City Council announced the plans earlier this week with the hope to give ‘local shops a boost’ in the lead up to Christmas.

Salford City Mayor Paul Dennett said: “I hope this encourages people to shop locally and support Salford businesses to boost our city’s economy.”

Liz Harris, Chair of Monton Village Community Association, said: “we are absolutely thrilled that we have got some Saturdays where people can come to Monton and go into the shops and not have to pay to do that.”

Liz Harrison – Chair of Monton Village Community Association

According to One4all, people spend an average of 10 hours shopping for Christmas presents. Local shop owners are hoping the free car parks can extend the amount of time customers spend browsing in shops.

Ian Collier, St Ann’s Hospice Bank Shop Relief Manager, said: “The more people that come into the smaller town like this [Monton] the better really, and hopefully that is what the free car parks can do.”

The car parks included are:
• Partington Street, Monton
• John William Street, Eccles
• Eccles Precinct
• St Mary’s Road, Eccles
• Irwell Place, Eccles
• Barton Lane, Eccles
• Hankinson Way, Salford
• Church Street, Swinton

Despite her excitement for the free parking, Harris told Salford Nowthe car park in Partington Street, Monton, was originally free before fees were brought in.

She continued: “three Saturdays is great, but we are very sad about the 360 days a year that we’ve lost as a free car park.

“There is actually one business closing in two weeks time and one of the reasons they put down is because of the lack of trade that has occurred since you had to pay to park.”

Salford Now reached out to Salford Council for a comment but received no reply.

 

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