Free parking in Mansfield is being extended until autumn

Free parking at Mansfield District Council's car parks has been extended until September to encourage people to shop locally as the town emerges from the coronavirus lockdown.
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The council's cabinet has agreed that all the council's surface car parks will be free to use throughout the summer with no need to buy a ticket.The cabinet also agreed to introduce temporary reduced parking fees between September and the new year.The car parks at Walkden Street and the Four Seasons Shopping Centre will both remain closed for now but the council hopes to re-open the shopping centre one by the end of June when it will also be free to use.From September 1, parking fees will return but they will be half-price until December 31.

Coun Stuart Richardson, portfolio holder for regeneration and growth, said at the council, said: “Although the council's car parks are an important source of income to help pay for council services, we felt that it was better to continue with free parking for a few more months.“It means people do not have to touch tickets machines and this helps to prevent the spread of the virus.

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“We hope it will also encourage people back into the town centre to support our local shops and businesses. “The council has put in place comprehensive measures to make shopping in Mansfield as safe as it can be and we hope these will promote confidence among local people to return to a ‘new normal’.

Mansfield District Council car parks will remain free until SeptemberMansfield District Council car parks will remain free until September
Mansfield District Council car parks will remain free until September

“It is vital that we support our local economy if we want to safeguard jobs and livelihoods.“Providing free and then reduced fee parking until after Christmas will also help some families who might not be in the best place financially due to the lockdown.”

As well as free parking, the town centre also has in place hand sanitiser stations, one-way systems for pedestrians and safety limits on the number of people allowed to enter shops and length of queues, to enable effective social distancing.

Visitors will also be asked to keep their distance from other shoppers, not come if they have symptoms of Covid-19, to wear face coverings in line with government guidance, be respectful to shop and council workers and queue in allocated areas and leave a queue if asked to.