Free Christmas parking to support local traders
Wednesday 26 November 2008
Motorists will be able to park for free in any of Haringey Council’s car parks every December weekend until Christmas as part of a new drive to support the borough’s traders through the economic downturn.
Under the initiative, all of Haringey Council’s car parks will also offer free parking on Monday 22, Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 December.
The offer is part of a wider council campaign to encourage more residents to shop local over the coming weeks to try to stimulate the local economy and support independent businesses in Haringey.
The council hopes the offer of free parking at its car parks will encourage more people from Haringey and beyond to come to the borough’s shopping centres for Christmas food and gifts.
It comes on top of a range of council initiatives to support local traders, including:
- Support for the Crouch End Project, including help to establish a new website to promote shopping in the area and the introduction of late night shopping every first Thursday of the month
- Upcoming consultation due in the New Year to set up a Wood Green Business Forum
- Introduction of stop and shop (pay and display) schemes in shopping centres to prevent all-day parking and encourage turnover of shoppers
- Delivery of a £2million environmental makeover in Tottenham High Road, funded by Transport for London, to make it a more desirable shopping destination
Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Enterprise, Cllr Kaushika Amin, said:
“We are in very difficult economic times and many of Haringey’s independent shops are facing a real struggle to survive.
“In the run up to Christmas it’s vitally important that we support our local traders. It really is a case of use them or lose them.
“In the meantime as a council we will continue to do what we can to support local businesses and maintain the borough’s reputation as a great place to shop.”
Cabinet Member for Environment and Conservation, Cllr Brian Haley, added:
“I believe the offer of free parking at weekends and in Christmas week will prove a significant incentive for people to shop in Haringey over the festive period.
“Over the past few years we’ve looked carefully at how we can use parking regulations to support local traders, such as introducing stop and shop schemes around the borough. These should also be of help to local businesses over the coming weeks.
“But I would also encourage people to walk or cycle to our shopping centres, or take public transport. Cycle routes, bus services and rail and underground links in Haringey have never been better, and I hope people will make use of them in the run up to Christmas.”
Haringey Council manages nine car parks in the borough. They are located at:
- Stoneleigh Road, N17 (three locations)
- Somerset Road, N17
- Bury Road, N22
- Westerfield Road, N15
- Brunswick Road, N15
- Crouch Hall Road, N8
- Summerland Gardens, N10
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