Parking savings for festive shoppers

Derry City and Strabane District Council spread a little festive cheer this week with the announcement, which was welcomed by the Mayor Alderman Hilary McClintock, who encouraged people to use the opportunity to shop local.

She said: “I am delighted that Council has decided to introduce free Sunday parking as people are already spending a lot of money at this time of year, and every penny counts. Local businesses will also hopefully benefit as it will encourage people to shop locally, making access to the shops convenient and even more affordable than shopping online. I would encourage everyone to avail of the free car-parking and support local businesses when they can, giving a much needed lift to the local economy over the festive period.”

In previous years in the run up to Christmas the Pay and Display car parks in the city charged tariffs on a Sunday during the months of November and December.

However following a decision by members passed in October, Council has now moved to implement a free Sunday parking scheme during these months in keeping with the rest of the year, as Head of Business, Kevin O’Connor explained. “I believe that this move by Council will support our City Centre during the busy Christmas shopping season,” he stressed.

“We know that many shops, restaurants and retailers rely on a buoyant Christmas period to ensure that they have a successful year’s trading. Free Parking is just one of a number of initiatives that Council is working on aimed at promoting the district as a premium retail destination”.

Anyone with any queries regarding parking should contact Heather Torrens at Derry City and Strabane District Council on Tel: 028 71253253 Ext 4236 or [email protected]