Free parking scheme faces uncertain future amid lack of business feedback

The future of a free Saturday parking scheme in mid Wales could be uncertain after businesses were warned that too few have responded to a council survey assessing whether the trial has worked.

Welshpool Town Council’s 26-week ‘Pay What You Can’ Saturday parking trial has entered its final month, with the last free parking day at Church Street Car Park taking place on Saturday 26 September 2026.

Since April, the Town Council has funded the suspension of parking charges at Church Street Car Park every Saturday, allowing residents and visitors to park completely free of charge while having the option to make a voluntary contribution towards the initiative.

The trial was introduced following concerns from residents and businesses about the impact of parking charges on the town centre and followed a successful Christmas pilot.

During the pilot, business feedback suggested that free parking encouraged customers to stay longer, visit more businesses and spend more in the town.

As the 26-week trial approaches its conclusion, the Town Council is now urging businesses, residents and visitors to provide feedback so that councillors have sufficient evidence to properly evaluate whether the initiative has worked.

Town Clerk Richard Williams said: “The response to the initiative in conversations with businesses and members of the public has generally been very positive, but anecdotal feedback alone isn’t enough for the Council to properly evaluate a scheme involving public money.

“We particularly need our town centre businesses to help us. We want to understand whether Saturdays have been busier, whether customers have stayed longer, and importantly whether businesses have seen any measurable difference in footfall or turnover.

“We have unfortunately received very few responses from businesses so far. Without that evidence it will be extremely difficult to assess the economic impact of the trial or make an evidence-based decision about whether the Town Council should provide any similar support in the future.

“If you run a business in Welshpool town centre, even if you don’t think the parking trial has made any difference at all, we really want to hear from you. Positive, neutral and negative feedback are equally important to the evaluation.”

The Council is gathering a range of information as part of the evaluation, including feedback from businesses and visitors alongside available information about use of the car park.

Members of the public who have used Church Street Car Park during the trial are also encouraged to complete the Council’s short visitor survey, and explain whether the availability of free Saturday parking influenced their decision to visit Welshpool, how long they stayed and their experience of the scheme.

The remaining Saturdays provide a final opportunity to take advantage of the initiative before the trial ends on 26 September.

Parking at Church Street Car Park is completely free on Saturdays during the trial. Visitors who wish to support the initiative can make a voluntary ‘Pay What You Can’ contribution, but there is no requirement to do so.

Feedback gathered during and immediately following the trial will be reported to Welshpool Town Council and will be central to councillors’ consideration of what, if any, future parking support should be provided.

Members of the public who have used the scheme can complete the short visitor survey here.

The Council explained that businesses have been contacted separately and provided with a dedicated business monitoring survey, and to contact them if your business has not received a letter.

The Council is encouraging businesses to respond even where they have seen no noticeable impact from the trial.

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