A MEASURE designed to help Wokingham’s town centre retailers is to be extended for another month.
The free parking initiative, which The Wokingham Paper campaigned for last autumn, will continue in February – the Free After Three initiative was due to end on January 31.
Wokingham Borough Council said that because the regeneration work has been unavoidably delayed by the poor condition of utilities pipework and other issues discovered underground, it is extending this parking offer until the end of February, but it will only be for council owned car parks in Wokingham town centre.
These are: Carnival Multi-Storey, Cockpit Path, Shute End Council Offices, Denmark Street, Easthampstead Road (east and west), The Paddocks, Wellington House and the former Marks & Spencer car park in Rose Street.
Executive member for highways and transport Cllr Keith Baker said: “We know the Market Place works will bring huge improvements to the town and great benefits to businesses and residents alike. But we understand the problems they’re causing and free parking after 3pm is a good way to help the town through this difficult period.
“In the longer term, we’ll review Free after Three and also consider other parking charge options, in particular following the success of the Woodley parking charges trial that’s just been made permanent. We’ll be looking at charges in collaboration with stakeholders to make sure we get the right system in place for the area.”
Wokingham Borough Council said that Free after Three is part of a package that it has put in place to support shops and other businesses:
• ‘Free after Three’ parking in the borough council’s town centre car parks* from 3pm to 8am the next day – now extended until the end of February
• Regular morning surgeries for shops and businesses so they’re kept informed of works and can discuss issues. These complement regular visits by contractors and the town council to individual shops
• Online videos funded by WBC, Wokingham Town Council and Wokingham Business Association to promote businesses and the town.
The improvement project will transform Market Place into a continental-style space with café tables, market stalls, attractive trees and stylish paving and will be finished later this year, along with Peach Place.
Work on Elms Field has started this week, and will begin in earnest in March.
