Borough Council begs Saturday car park users: Don’t pay!

Erewash Borough Council is begging drivers using its car parks NOT to pay at weekends as it emerged around a quarter still stump up on Saturdays – when there is now no charge.

The plea follows analysis of car park income since fees were reduced to zero like on Sundays. Three months on, the council was amazed to discover that Saturday motorists had continued to fork out a total £12,577.

The authority has rushed to put up huge yellow banners to stress to car park users that they only need to pay between 8am and 6pm on weekdays, when fees are £1.50 for up to three hours, or £4 for longer.

The signs proclaim: “Parking is free of charge in this car park every Saturday & Sunday. There is no requirement to pay and display on these days.”

Free Saturday parking was introduced at the start of April thanks to the council’s new £6.5million Erewash Investment Fund, which is money specifically aimed at enhancing the borough and making life easier for residents. The move was widely publicised as helping to cut the cost of living while supporting shops and businesses.

Sundays were already free. A borough council official said the only circumstance in which people would need to part with money over the weekend is if they are pre-paying for parking – for instance if they will not return to their car until Monday or later.

Cllr Curtis Howard, who is Erewash’s Lead Member for Town Centres and Regeneration, said: “I was aghast when I got the car parks data through and found that something like one in four people were still paying in our council car parks on Saturdays.

“It’s not possible to give refunds to those who have already paid unnecessarily – hence our plea to those parking in Ilkeston or Long Eaton at the weekend: Please do not pay!”