Plans are in place for the provision of free parking in the council’s town centre off-street car parks in Scarborough and Whitby in order to support the local economy. Scarborough Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhoods, Coun Tony Randerson, approved the plan for free parking in a decision on November 15. The authority has offered free parking ahead of Christmas in its off-street car parks since 1998.

Only the authority’s town centre off-street car parks in Scarborough and Whitby will be included in the provision which will be in place on selected Sundays from 11am to 4pm and from 3pm on selected Thursdays.

In Scarborough, free parking will be available on Castle Road, Falconers Road, Friarsway, North Street, North Terrace, St Nicholas Parade, St Thomas Street, Victoria Road, Westwood, and William Street. In Whitby, free parking will be available on Church Street, Cliff Street, Marina Back, Marina Front, Endeavour Wharf, and St Hildas Terrace

The current plans state that free parking will be available on the following Thursdays and Sundays;

- Thursdays (from 3pm): 1 December, 8 December, 15 December, and 22 December 2022

- Sundays (from 11am – 4pm): 04 December, 11 December, and 18 December 2022.

A council report recommended approval to support local high street businesses and “to discourage a possible shift to other shopping venues and online purchasing”.

The council says the plans will “hopefully discourage people from travelling to areas out of town offering better arrangements and will assist local businesses during this difficult economic climate”.

Although the estimated cost to the council is £14,000, this has already been accounted for in existing budgets.

Unless the decision is called in for scrutiny by the council’s overview committee by November 18, the plan will go ahead. However, call-ins are not common and it is unlikely to happen.

Parking in Whitby and Scarborough: Council approves free festive parking for town centres