Free parking and travel planned for festive shoppers in Oswestry
Free parking and bus travel could be an early Christmas present for Oswestry festive shoppers.
Town councillors meet on Monday to consider a recommendation for free car parking at Oswestry Town Council car parks and free town centre bus travel on the Saturdays leading up to Christmas.
For many years the council has agreed to requests made by Oswestry BID and Oswestry Chamber of Commerce to provide free Christmas parking.
Rather than wait for the requests this year the council is considering implementing free parking on December 4/5, 11/12 and 18/19. The estimated loss of revenue would be £3,000.
A report from town clerk, Arren Roberts says the council's Corporate Plan includes developing more cycle lanes and controlling traffic speeds, getting potholes filled as a priority and an action to consider a project that encourages people to use public transport by subsidising town centre bus travel at Christmas.
"Dialogue has been ongoing for a number of months with Shropshire Council and one of the providers of the Oswestry Town Service, Tanat Valley. The provider is extremely supportive of the initiative and would promote the scheme."
The recommendation is that, for December 4, 11 and 18, the Town Council subsidises free bus travel on the town centre service provided by Tanat Valley. The estimated cost to the Council would be £500.
"There is clearly a significant different in cost to the council between free car parking and free bus travel. Once the ticket numbers and final cost to the Council has been collated in January 2022, members may wish to expand the offer of free bus travel and reduce the subsidy of free car parking," Mr Roberts said.
