Free parking brought increase in shoppers, but some people still paid!

A six-month free parking trial in Welshpool has been hailed a success by the town council who claimed that town centre visits increased by more than a quarter, with businesses also reporting more customers and higher sales.

But the scheme also revealed that some motorists continued paying for parking despite it being free, generating around £1,830 in revenue for Powys County Council, who had already been paid £6,000 by the town council.

Welshpool Town Council introduced free Saturday parking at Church Street Car Park in April to encourage more shoppers into the town centre and support local businesses.

Following the end of the 26-week trial in September, the council said that independent monitoring showed a 26.6% increase in detected town centre visits across 24 comparable Saturdays compared with the same period in 2025.

Although the increase cannot be attributed entirely to free parking, feedback from shoppers and businesses suggests the initiative made a positive difference.

Of 85 people surveyed who used the scheme, 88% said free parking influenced their decision to visit Welshpool, while 97% said it made parking less stressful.

Local businesses were equally positive. Of the 13 responding to the council's survey, 11 reported increased footfall, 10 said customers were staying longer and eight recorded higher sales.

None reported a fall in customer numbers or sales.

However, the trial also uncovered an unexpected problem.

Despite Welshpool Town Council paying Powys County Council to suspend parking charges, some motorists continued using payment machines and the PayByPhone app.

Figures obtained by the town council revealed that Powys County Council still received approximately £1,830 in net parking revenue during the free parking period.

This happened despite roadside signs, notices in the car park, promotional material in shops and a social media campaign reaching more than 15,000 people.

Town Clerk Richard Williams said the findings were encouraging but highlighted improvements needed if the scheme returns.

“The results are encouraging. We've seen more activity in the town centre compared with last year, businesses are reporting more customers and visitors are telling us that free parking made a difference to their decision to come to Welshpool,” he said.

“We can’t say that free parking is responsible for all of that increase, but the feedback suggests it has played a positive part.”

He added: “Despite our efforts to promote the scheme, people were still paying for parking when they didn’t need to.

“If we run the scheme again, we need to work with Powys County Council to make sure the arrangements are clearer and motorists aren't unnecessarily paying for something the town council has already funded.”

Possible improvements include disabling payment machines and app payments during future free parking periods.

Councillors will now consider whether to repeat the scheme in 2027, taking into account its benefits and costs.

“Ultimately, this is about whether the council can make a worthwhile investment in supporting our town centre,” Mr Williams added.

“We now have the evidence and costs for councillors to consider before deciding what happens next.”

Welshpool Town Council’s Events and Planning Committee will discuss the findings on Wednesday, November 4, at 6.30pm, before making recommendations to the full council.