Douglas Council has announced a trial of free weekend parking at Shaw’s Brow car park in an effort to boost footfall in the city centre.
The move follows a public consultation where parking emerged as the primary concern.
The City Centre management team said while some people reported a lack of available spaces, an investigation found “a plentiful supply of available parking if drivers are prepared to pay for it”.
They added: “It was clear that the main complaint was actually about the limited supply of free car parking.”
To address this, the council has agreed to make Shaw’s Brow Car Park completely free at weekends on a trial basis. The free parking will apply from 7pm every Friday until 7am every Monday.
The car park is already free on public holidays. The trial will begin on Friday April3
The council stated that the initiative will be “reviewed after Christmas to see whether it has been successful in increasing weekend footfall.”
The full city centre strategy document, which includes the results of the public surveys, is available here. It acknowledges that some public suggestions, such as the level of shop rents, are outside the council’s control.