Free parking for festive shoppers

Shoppers will not have to pay up to, and including, Boxing Day

Free parking at council car parks is being offered to Christmas shoppers in South Lanarkshire from now until Boxing Day to help boost local sales.

South Lanarkshire council has agreed to waive the pay and display charges for one week at council car parks in Hamilton and East Kilbride.

The move is a result of the government's recent reduction in VAT from 17.5% to 15%.

The council said it wanted to pass the saving on to residents.

The local authority said it would be impractical and costly to reduce the off-street parking charges to reflect the VAT changes, as the Pay and Display machines and signs would have to be altered.

Instead the money the Council will save in VAT over the next year will be passed on through the provision of one full week's free parking.

'Benefit shoppers'

Enterprise resources committee chair, Cllr Chris Thompson, said: "We hope that this will provide an incentive to the residents of South Lanarkshire to shop locally this Christmas.

"It is an innovative way of passing on what in real terms is actually a very small saving into something that can benefit shoppers and traders throughout Hamilton and East Kilbride."

He added: "We also feel that the free parking offer is in the spirit of the VAT cut - namely to try and help stimulate the economy. This helps to do so at a local level."