A bid to restore the first hour of free parking in Erewash Borough Council car parks has been rejected following a lengthy debate over the future of the borough’s town centres and the authority’s finances.
The motion, proposed by Reform UK councillor Dan Price and seconded by Cllr Paul Maginnis at Thursday evening’s Full Council meeting, called for the first hour to be made free to encourage more people to visit Ilkeston and Long Eaton.
During the debate, Conservative councillors went further by proposing that all parking in council-owned off-street car parks should be free until March 31, 2028.
That amendment was defeated before councillors also voted against the original proposal to reinstate the first free hour.
Supporters say free hour would help businesses
Introducing his motion, Cllr Price said rising costs, changing shopping habits and competition from online retailers were creating difficulties for local businesses.
He argued that a free hour would allow residents to collect a prescription, visit a café, use local services or make a quick purchase without immediately having to pay to park.
“Small visits add up to significant footfall, and footfall is the lifeblood of any successful town centre,” he told councillors.
Cllr Price pointed to the free parking traditionally offered in council car parks during December and said the previous first-hour-free scheme had been popular before it ended in 2020.
He said: “This motion is not about giving something away. It is about investing in our high streets, supporting local businesses and showing residents that this council understands the pressures they face.”
Seconding the motion, Cllr Maginnis referred to the level of money held in council reserves and argued that some of it should be used to support residents and businesses.
He also pointed to the forthcoming abolition of Erewash Borough Council through local government reorganisation.
Is one hour long enough?
Labour councillor Frank Phillips questioned whether a free hour would provide enough time for a meaningful visit and whether there was evidence that it would increase town-centre trade.
He said there was “no unequivocal evidence” showing that one hour of free parking increased footfall.
Cllr Phillips argued that an hour would not be long enough for many people to browse shops, collect a prescription and visit a café. He said the council’s existing free Saturday parking gave visitors more time to explore the town centres, use hospitality businesses and meet friends or family.
He added that Saturdays were also when markets were held.
Why the council chose free Saturdays
Councillors opposing the motion said the decision to introduce free Saturday parking had been based on ticket data from council car parks.
Cllr Harrison Broadhurst said the council now received monthly information showing where and when motorists parked.
When options for free parking were considered as part of the Erewash Investment Fund, Saturdays consistently recorded some of the highest ticket sales. He said this indicated that offering free parking on Saturdays would benefit the greatest number of people.
Cllr Broadhurst also argued that the way people used town centres had changed. While high streets were once dominated by national retailers, they now contained more independent businesses, cafés, restaurants, micropubs and personal services which could not be accessed online.
He said a single free hour might encourage people to restrict their visit rather than stay for an additional coffee, lunch or more shopping.
“One hour free parking creates an unintended risk that we are incentivising people to limit their stay in our town centres to only one hour,” he said.
Cllr Broadhurst told councillors that a couple he had spoken to while campaigning preferred free Saturday parking because they could browse, visit more shops and have an additional coffee without rushing back to their car.
He said the Saturday scheme had only completed its first financial quarter, meaning the council did not yet have enough information to judge its longer-term effect.
Cllr Broadhurst also said residents of St Andrews Drive in Ilkeston had reported an improvement in parking problems since free Saturdays were introduced, as motorists no longer needed to park there to avoid town-centre charges.
However, he revealed that around 25 per cent of motorists were still buying tickets on Saturdays despite parking being free. Larger signs have been requested to make the arrangement clearer.
“When I vote against this motion, please know that I’m not doing so blindly,” he said.
“We made a choice based on the data.”
He argued that free Saturdays saved the greatest number of people money, reflected the changing nature of the borough’s town centres and allowed visitors more time to enjoy them.
Conservatives call for completely free parking
During the debate, Conservative councillor Wayne Major proposed an amendment which would have made all parking in council-owned off-street car parks free until March 31, 2028.
Councillors were told the proposal would cost approximately £1.042 million and could be funded through the Erewash Investment Fund.
Cllr Major agreed that one hour was insufficient and argued that the council’s latest financial outturn showed it could afford to go further.
Cllr Ann Mills said she had been prepared to support the original first-hour-free motion but believed completely free parking would offer businesses greater help.
“We’ve supported the businesses by the reductions in business rates. All they need now is customers,” she said.
She also argued that relying on free Saturday parking did not suit everybody, including residents who found shopping at busy times difficult.
Other councillors supporting the amendment said businesses needed customers throughout the week, not only on Saturdays.
Concerns raised about the cost
Councillors opposing the amendment focused heavily on its financial implications and questioned whether more than £1 million should be taken from the Erewash Investment Fund.
Cllr Dave Snaith said the authority was legally required to continue operating as a going concern until it is replaced through local government reorganisation.
He warned that the council’s medium-term financial forecast showed future pressures and argued that reserves should not simply be spent because Erewash Borough Council was due to be abolished.
Cllr Broadhurst said the council had a “moral obligation” not to leave financial problems for its successor authority and the residents it would serve.
He said the administration had improved the council’s financial position since taking control in 2023 and needed to remain prudent in case of unexpected costs.
Cllr Broadhurst also rejected the suggestion that the council was failing to invest, pointing to free Saturday parking, improvements to parks and £6 million of wider investment across the borough.
Cllr Harry Atkinson questioned which other projects might lose funding if more than £1 million was allocated to free parking.
He referred to planned investment in parish areas, support for voluntary organisations, events and shopfront improvements.
“When you introduce something like this, you have to cut other things, and I will not cut the other things that this administration is doing,” he said.
Labour councillor Joel Bryan said the disagreement was about political priorities. He argued that the administration was investing in parks, local businesses and support for residents while maintaining control of the council’s finances.
‘An extra hour is better than nothing’
Following the defeat of the Conservative amendment, councillors returned to the original first-hour-free proposal.
Cllr Price stressed that his proposal was not intended to replace free parking on Saturdays. It would have provided an additional free hour during the week.
He recalled choosing to visit a larger store instead of the town centre on one occasion because he did not have change to pay for parking.
“How can you make the town succeed if they’ve got no customers on the high street?” he asked.
Cllr Price said families and businesses continued to face financial pressures and argued that even a relatively small saving could help.
“An extra hour doesn’t sound a lot, but it’s better than nothing,” he said.
Other councillors opposing the proposal pointed to measures already being used to support town centres, including business-rate relief, shopfront improvements and action to bring neglected buildings back into use.
They argued that the first free hour was not the most effective way to support residents or businesses.
Both proposals rejected
The Conservative amendment to make all council-owned off-street parking free until March 2028 was put to a recorded vote and defeated.
Councillors then returned to the original motion calling for the reinstatement of the first free hour. That proposal was also voted down.
The decision means the current parking arrangements will remain unchanged.
Parking in council-owned car parks will continue to be free on Saturday and Sunday, but motorists visiting Ilkeston and Long Eaton during the rest of the week will continue to pay from the beginning of their stay.