More free parking for city visitors
SHOPPERS can now park for free, seven days a week, in the centre of Swansea.
Visitors to the city are already able to park their cars for free at St David's multi-storey car park between Mondays and Fridays.
And all council car parks are without charge on Sundays.
But now they can leave their vehicles at St David's, free of charge, for two hours on Saturdays.
Plans have also been unveiled to provide some short-term parking for visitors to town who only wanted to stay a few minutes.
Meters are to be installed along Lower Oxford Street and Plymouth Street — where drivers can leave their cars for 20 minutes for 50p.
The facilities are being introduced by Swansea Business Improvement District (Bid) working with Swansea Council, in an attempt to encourage more visitors to the city.
Dave Kenny, chairman of Swansea Bid and owner of Star Enterprises Ltd, said: "Local traders and the council are working together to bring more people into the city centre and help boost our retail sector. Providing up to two hours free parking every day is a great way to encourage shoppers to visit us.
"The parking meters will also provide visitors who only need to pop into the city centre for a short period to use one of the parking zones along Lower Oxford Street and Plymouth Street."
To qualify for free parking, motorists must collect a parking ticket from St David's, and have it stamped at a city centre store.
John Hague, Cabinet member for the environment, said: "Swansea Bid is working alongside the council to ensure Swansea is a premier shopping destination in South West Wales.
"Providing an accessible city centre is vital if we are to increase visitor figures.
"Initiatives such as free parking and our own Park and Ride service are helping us to achieve this aim."
10 Comments
by michelle davies, Melbourne, Australia
Thursday, October 09 2008, 3:13AM
“I still wouldn't bother going to Swansea city centre even with the free parking. Cardiff is a much better option ( I never thought I would say that being a Swansea girl) but it is clean much more choice of shops, restaurants & cafes. Swansea city centre used to be a lovely place to shop and stroll around, now it looks like something from a third world country.”
by Michael Quirk, Waunarlwydd
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 9:47PM
“There is already free parking at TESCOs I went to go shopping in TESCOs last Thursday and the car park was full,
ie. there was a sale on in Debanhams, it is alway the same. Now Xmas is comming the car park will be full, just watch them parking up and streaming out of TESCOs car park in to town.”
by Alan, Mumbles, swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 7:55PM
“What an absolute load of rubbish. Can I ask...'what shop needs to stamp my ticket?'...because when I have been to St. David's it has not been free. Mainly because I was using the Quadrant and couldn't be bothered to walk to one of the shops that was required to stamp my ticket in order for me to get free parking...why not just not charge us for 2 hours than expect us to queue up to get the damned thing stamped at an allocated store?
I agree with the earlier comment. I would rather drive to McArther Glenn or Cardiff and get some real bargains than get 2 hrs free in Swansea City Centre to buy expensive crap!!”
by sue, swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 11:34AM
“It will take more than 2 hours free parking to convince people to venture into the city. I find it easier to travel into Cardiff on the train for under £10 return. At least there is a good selection of shops and can actually find what you want. Swansea City has gone to the dogs recently.”
by steve, Swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 11:32AM
“Carol, What planet are you on? If hospitial car park charges are the basis for paying for cancer drugs then we have a major problem. I'm all for paying for things when that money is put back into benefitting the motorist who is funding it. Parking charges shouldn't be just another tax.”
by George Bush, Swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 10:52AM
“Unfortunately it will still cost £9 to £12 to park for a decent length of time to do any shopping in the Oxford Street area and St. Davids will be "chokker".
In these hard times who can afford any of it when you can park in an out of town shopping complex free and easy without the hassle of traffic wardens and the inconvenience of a fine. Anything for an easy life please. Anyway what has Swansea City got to make it that attractive? Great Architecture ? Lovely gardens? Fantastic quaint and welcoming pubs and wine bars? coffee houses? Street Life? Don't kid yourselves.”
by Alan's first, Dunvant
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 9:31AM
“And about time. well done”
by James, Swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 9:21AM
“Finally, a sensible idea from the swansea council, they must have finally employed a person with a little comman sence!! Thank you, more of the same (allough this may be too little to late for the city centre which has been dead since one way bendy bus idea from the last jobsworth to work there) also we wouldnt need to increece our city visitors if this joke of a bus scheme hadnt been put in place. the city centre has survived for decades with no need to attract more visitors, you drove them away!”
by carol, Swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 9:05AM
“Free parking? If it`s anything like the hospital parking...you can keep it.
Better to spend the parking charges on filling in the pot holes that many roads have.
Even better Give the kidney cancer patientsd the drugs they need now”
by Tim, Swansea
Wednesday, October 08 2008, 8:58AM
“The council should make their mind up. First they try to stop us using the city centre by making it impossible to park, approving out-of-town shopping complexes all over the place, digging all the roads up at the same time and employing loads of new traffic wardens. Now there seems to be a completely different message that they want shoppers to use the city centre. This is not joined-up local government at all.”