City Businesses Applaud Free Festive Parking Initiative

Small businesses have expressed approval for the implementation of complimentary city centre parking in the period leading up to Christmas, anticipating a boost in trade. For the first time, Gloucester City Council is enabling motorists to park without charge for three consecutive days from December 18-20 after 15:00 GMT. Additionally, council car parks will be free on Small Business Saturday on December 7 and after 15:00 GMT on Thursdays until Christmas. “It really helps because if people have to factor in the price of parking, it could be the tipping point that puts them off and they’ll go elsewhere,” stated Marc Edden, managing director of VRXPerience. The independent business, located on Southgate Street, specializes in providing virtual reality experiences. Mr Edden explained, “One of the key things for us is people don’t really understand what we do unless they see it, so being on the high street passers-by have a glance through the window, see people playing and come in and ask questions.” He added, “So getting people into the town makes a huge difference to us.” Small Business Saturday is a nationwide initiative designed to encourage shoppers to support local and independent retailers. Emily Gibbon, manager at Gloucester Business Improvement District (BID), remarked: “They are the lifeline of our city. We need to support them as much as we can throughout the year and days like Small Business Saturday give us the opportunity to showcase the wonderful array of small businesses we have here in Gloucester.” Any incentive aimed at attracting more shoppers to Gloucester is crucial for independent retailers, according to Kate Lankester, who operates Bizarre, a store selling gifts, clothing, and jewellery. Ms Lankester observed, “The free parking in Gloucester is helping draw customers into the city for events like the Small Business Saturday and for late night shopping coming up to Christmas.” She continued, “The extra footfall this can bring to town is great for small independent businesses like mine at this time of year.” Councillor Declan Wilson, deputy leader of Gloucester City Council, commented: “When we shop local, we’re investing directly in the heart of our community, helping small businesses thrive and creating a more vibrant and connected place to live.” Mr Edden suggested that incentives such as free parking should be extended to other periods throughout the year. He elaborated, “It would be great because there are so many different kinds of events, other key dates in the year; or even to focus on the quieter times, when there isn’t anything special, would really help us.” Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.