Neath Port Talbot Council will be offering free Christmas period parking in Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe pay and display car parks from Saturday, December 14th, 2019 to Tuesday, January 1st 2020 (both days inclusive).

This is an improvement on last year's offer, including an extra day of festive free parking. Free Christmas parking is estimated to cost around £40,000 for the three town centre car parks based on the current parking tariff structure.

But the free parking initiative is aimed at giving the three town centres a major boost in sales over Christmas and the New Year.

The free Christmas parking offer which involves pay and display car parks in Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe (excluding The Gnoll, Afan Forest Country Park and Aberavon Seafront car parks) was approved on Friday (Sept 20th) by members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Streetscene and Engineering Cabinet Board.

Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Engineering, Councillor Ted Latham said: “This has proved to be very successful previously and we want shoppers and businesses to continue to benefit from free parking at key times, particularly during the run up to Christmas.

“We hope this offer will once again encourage residents to shop more locally in Neath, Port Talbot and Pontardawe over Christmas and will continue to support businesses in our area.”

The Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, Councillor Rob Jones, added: “We recognise this is an important time of year for both families and businesses. We are encouraging people to support our local businesses and believe offering a seasonal reduction in parking charges will make this much easier.”

Neath Inspired Manager Andrew Shufflebotham said: “The free parking provided by Neath Port Talbot Council is always appreciated by traders and well utilised by shoppers.

“Last year we saw substantial increases in footfall, going up from 88,000 to 115,000 in the town centre during the Free Parking period. Reports from Neath businesses linked the increased footfall to the attractive range of shopping available in the town centre, plenty of coffee shops and food opportunities together with the free parking, making it a good choice for a great Christmas shopping experience. Help us to beat last year’s record by doing your Christmas shop in town.”