The 15-minute free parking challenge

We sent our Shrewsbury reporter David Seadon out into the town yesterday afternoon to put himself to the stopwatch test.

Shopping is seen as a leisurely pastime.

It's something you do while strolling around the town with your family in tow, possibly stopping for a bite of lunch along the way.

But from Monday people will be able to park in Shropshire Council-owned car parks across the county free of charge for up to 15 minutes.

And that poses a very obvious question: What on earth can you buy in a quarter of an hour? Is that sufficient time for a leisurely stroll into a shop for some milk, or a newspaper, or a loaf of bread?

Or would it be more like Supermarket Sweep – a mad dash through your local high street to grab provisions in order to race sweating and out of breath back to the car before the parking warden approaches?

Ahead of this big change in parking regulations, I attempted to answer those questions by discovering just how beneficial those 15 free minutes will be to shoppers on a typical Friday lunchtime in Shrewsbury.

And, as I discovered, it helps to be fast on your feet.

After finding an on-street parking space on Claremont Street I race over to Shrewsbury Market Hall to find a card for my grandparents' Ruby Wedding anniversary.

Peter Butler, a shop assistant at The Card Stall, helps me to browse the wide selection of gift cards before I part with my hard earned cash. Mr Butler welcomes the impact the free parking could have.

"Anything which will help bring more shoppers in – even if it's only for 15 minutes – has got to be a good thing," he says.

"In the mornings people come here early to do their vegetable shop and park outside and it is people like this it will help."

And Kate Gittins, site facilities manager at Shrewsbury Market Hall, says she is all in favour of the free period, describing it as something that could help to change a "negative perception" built up in Shrewsbury over rising parking fees.

"Our customers often pop in for some fruit and vegetables and without having to pay for parking it will encourage more to do the same," she tells me.

"We've all developed a negative perception about parking in Shrewsbury so this will be very important to develop a more positive feel. What we want are more people in Shrewsbury."

But, she adds, what the town really needs in the long term is a pay-on-exit policy in its car parks rather than the current situation.

Next on my shopping list is champagne, so I hare down the Market Hall steps, out of the door and into High Street, where I find Spirited Wines of Shrewsbury.

Manager Peter Beasley sells me a lovely bottle but, as I am no champagne connoisseur, it takes me several minutes to decide on the right product.

"Some people do spend their money quite quickly and often nip in," said Mr Beasley, who sounds like the sort of shopkeeper who will benefit from the change.

But, he tells me as he wraps up my bottle, "I think if 30 minutes was applied it'd give people a bit more of a window of opportunity. But this is a good start and sounds like a fantastic initiative.

"Parking fees do restrict shoppers somewhat, especially when you can just go and shop out of town for free, so this is a really encouraging incentive."

Yes, I know, I'm cutting it fine as I tear into the Giant Party Shop in Mardol.

Owner Dave Minshall takes it in his stride however, but as he sells me a packet of party poppers, he admits he is bothered about how this parking revolution will be run. "It's a good idea but I'm a little bit sceptical because how are they going to police it?" he asked, popping my poppers into a bag.

"It seems like a system that would be quite easily abused.

"I think traders also need to be given the full details and the council should issue the shops with something they can have on the counter letting shoppers know about the changes."

The council is introducing the 'grace period' of 15 minutes for designated pay and display bays at all council-owned surface car parks and on-street parking bays, meaning people won't need to buy a ticket if they are only parking for 15 minutes.

The idea is to boost high street trade across Shropshire Council's car parks.

Shropshire Council leader Keith Barrow said the idea had been suggested to him by Whitchurch trader Simon Lyon on Twitter, and follows a call from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles for councils to be more "shopper friendly". He said: "It's going to be sensitively monitored and obviously we are relying on people to not abuse it.

"The response has been very largely positive and one chap tweeted me saying it would save him about £94 a year which proves it will put more money in people's pocket."

As if by magic my time has elapsed. And I'm back at my car with three important items in my hands – and not a penny paid in parking charges. But I've had to move quickly and plan what I wanted to buy.

This scheme is clearly not aimed at people wanting to window shop, but for a cross-section of Shropshire shoppers it could prove very useful.

And with town traders broadly welcoming the move, this could be the boost that shopkeepers and businesses across Shropshire have been calling for.

The proof is in the pudding, as they say.