Experience Guildford’s Free Late Night Parking in Run-up To Christmas

Published on: 25 Nov, 2013
Updated on: 15 Nov, 2018

Bedford Road Car Park where GBC’s car park office is located.

by Maria Rayner

Retailers and shoppers are delighted that Guildford car parks will be free every Thursday night in December (2013) to coincide with late night shopping.

York Road Car Park

The initiative, which will include all of the pay and display car parks within the town centre, is the result of months of negotiation between the retailers’ forum, Amanda Masters (General Manager of Experience Guildford (EG)) and Guildford Borough Council (GBC).

Ms Masters said: “I want to support the late night shopping Thursdays, and we hope that people will come into town earlier do some Christmas shopping and stay for a bite to eat while missing the rush hour traffic.”

Car parking is a valuable revenue stream for councils and in recognition of this Experience Guildford will be reimbursing the GBC for any loss of revenue.

Retailers, who fund EG via a levy, have been calling for discounted or free parking days in a bid to boost footfall in Guildford town centre.

Gemma Payne, owner of new childrens’ clothing store Little Beau in Tunsgate, said: “It’s really great news. If they can do it in Godalming then they can do it here. We [independent shop keepers] pay a lot in rates so it’s good to get something back.”

Only the pay and display car parks are included in the free late night days. Other car parks, e.g. Castle Car Park in Sydenham Road, with barriers would cause too much congestion on these busy nights. However, on Boxing Day all car parks will be free all day.

Ms Masters was keen to remind shoppers to pick up the ‘Little Book of Offers’ from the ‘Blue Cap’ town rangers, Experience Guildford website or the tourist information office on the high street.

Castle Car Park, Sydenham Road will not be free on Thursday evenings but will be on Boxing Day

The car parks free after 4pm on 5th, 12th and 19th December are:

Bedford Road Multi Storey; Millbrook; G Live; Mary Road; Bright Hill; Bedford Road Surface; Leapale Road Multi Storey; Commercial Road 2; Old Police Station; Upper High Street; North Street and; Guildford Park (offer excludes all on street parking).

On Boxing Day, all car parks in town will be free all day.