Xmas > Christmas News

Christmas shoppers get a surprise gift

Thu, 01 Nov 2007

Officials in Edinburgh have announced that shoppers will be able to park for free in the city centre during December.

Shoppers can take advantage of free parking on Saturday afternoons and each weekday evenings from 17.30 GMT. However this is all subject to the plans being approved by councillors of the policy and strategy committee at their meeting on 6 November.

The areas where shoppers can benefit from free parking are city centre, West End, Old Town and the Grassmarket .

Approval of the plans means that this is the third year shoppers will benefit from free parking, with a view this becoming an annual event.

Cllr Jenny Dawe, leader Edinburgh Council said, "It is important that the council does all that it can to promote the city centre.

"That is why I am delighted that we have managed to work closely with the business community to meet their aspirations through relaxing our parking regulations."

Rom Hewitt, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said, "We are delighted that our continuing collaboration with the council over giving Edinburgh's city centre retailers the best support is recognised by this investment by the city council in using parking relaxations to further enhance the attractiveness of the city centre in the run up to Christmas at what we all know is the busiest period for shoppers in the capital."

Graham Russell, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses in Edinburgh said, "We especially welcome the recognition by the council of the crucial importance of this trading period to the capital city's business community as a whole, to the acknowledged success of last year's scheme and to the extension of the number of streets that are to be included this year."