Free parking removal in County Durham town centres reportedly leaves footfall unaffected

County Durham council has insisted that the removal of a free parking scheme in town centres has not affected footfall. The scheme, which offered free parking after 2pm, was introduced in April 2021 to aid recovery from the Covid pandemic, but was scrapped in 2023.

Despite this, the council has maintained that its decision was correct and cabinet members are expected to back the findings of a review at a meeting next week. Councillor Alison Batey had previously urged the council to reconsider its decision due to concerns raised by businesses and residents.

However, despite claims that parking charges deter shoppers from visiting town centres, the council stated that removing the scheme had not significantly impacted footfall. A report read: ""The available evidence is almost entirely anecdotal and there is very little published evidence which links changes in car park charges to changes in town centre footfall.

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"Reviewing the footfall data from the County Durham main centres with chargeable car parking, there is no discernible change to footfall trends that can be linked to the reintroduction charges after 2pm.

The local council has found itself at the centre of controversy following changes to a parking scheme, which saw them receive complaints both when it was introduced and after its removal. Defending their position, they said they are the sole North East authority providing free parking post-Covid.

Criticism peaked as one resident expressed their concerns about the scheme being scrapped: "You should be encouraging people to help local businesses. Prices everywhere are at an all-time high and a little gesture such as free parking after 2pm makes a difference to lots of people. I will now just go to The Galleries at Washington instead and I know other people who have said the same."

However, the scheme's existence wasn't without its own issues, with some locals in Durham City raising issue that they could not park near their homes due to it.

Financially, the continuation of the scheme wasn't viable either, with council forecasts suggesting around £6000,000 would be lost annually if it were to carry on.

In an effort to fully understand the impact, transport officials analysed footfall in main town centres across County Durham once the scheme was removed. Reports for Barnard Castle indicated no immediate drop in afternoon visitors, but the location has seen quieter periods as the year advanced.

Meanwhile, Bishop Auckland's January numbers remained steady, though a similar trend of reduced activity in afternoons was observed as the year went on.

Chester le Street also saw a similar pattern, although footfall has been improving as the year goes on. In contrast, Consett saw an increase in afternoon footfall against the general trend from January to April, with a decrease observed from May to July.

There was also a rise in Park and Ride usage when the parking scheme was abolished.

The matter is set to be debated at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday, September 18.