Managing festive parking Christmas, but not as we know it Maria McCarthy looks at how towns and shopping centres are preparing for a very uncertain Christmas shopping period hristmas 2020 will be like no other for many of us, the parking industry included, but as always we are rising to the challenge. Earlier in the year, there were hopes that some Christmas markets would be able to proceed with additional safety and social distancing guidelines. But uncertainties around the Covid-19 restrictions and lockdowns led to cancellations. Winchester, Bath, York, Lincoln, Exeter and many other cities will not be holding their festive markets this year. For these locations, the pressure on city centre parking is likely to be significantly reduced. Retail and hospitality businesses have suffered considerably during 2020. Many local authorities are hoping to encourage shoppers back to the high street, obviously while operating within government guidelines In our work with local authorities and town centre businesses, we are naturally seeing a lot of uncertainty about how best to manage parking in the run up to Christmas, says Chris Wade, director of People & Places Partnership, which provides guidance to local authorities on town centre revitalisation. One key debate is whether to introduce or extend the provision of free parking. Our advice is always to make such decisions based on an understanding C of parking supply and demand. While the instinct of many town centre businesses is that free parking will provide a helpful boost, the last thing we want is potential customers turned away because they cannot park. Our guidance is to try to use a flexible tariff to encourage shoppers on quiet days and the rest of the time to encourage a turnover of spaces in a way that is appreciative of changing habits. Changes in behaviour Rod Williamson, team leader city services at Lincoln City Council, has already noticed one altered behaviour in local shoppers. Since the first lockdown, visits to the city centre are shorter people are coming in for what they need and then leaving, rather than lingering as they would once have done. As far as judging parking needs over the festive season is concerned, Williamson says it is hard to predict. Just before the second England lockdown, demand soared because people rushed into the city centre for Christmas shopping, but its uncertain what will happen if the lockdown lifts as scheduled on 2 December. Williamson is determined to support Lincolns shopping centres as much as possible within government regulations. As with previous Christmases, we will be offering free parking on late Visits to the city centre are shorter people are coming in for what they need and then leaving, rather than lingering as they would once have done 28 britishparking.co.uk PN Dec 2020 pp28-29 xmas pages.indd 28 23/11/2020 16:11