Three hours of free afternoon parking within Council car parks and on-street parking bays will be available in Kilmarnock town centre throughout December to help shoppers at the busiest time of the year. With the existing arrangements across East Ayrshire, this means that free parking will be available across all our towns in the lead up to Christmas.
The three free hours’ parking offer in Kilmarnock will be available for:
- On-street parking from Monday to Saturday from 2pm onwards
- Off-street parking (Council car parks) from Monday to Friday from 2pm onwards. Saturdays will remain free all day within off-street car parks.
Anyone parking after 2pm will not require to obtain a parking ticket or book a pay by phone session. Normal parking charges will apply from 9am to 2pm to deter all day parking and to allow for a turnover of spaces throughout peak hours.
This arrangement is slightly different to last year’s festive parking offer of three free hours at any time of day, and it’s hoped that this year’s offer will result in less pressure on the car parks.
Councillor Jim McMahon, Cabinet Spokesperson for Housing, Transport and Communities, said: “We consulted with local businesses following last year’s parking arrangements and found that the free three hours’ parking at any time of day had mixed success. It was agreed to make the offer of free parking a more simple process this year, without the need for tickets or paying by phone if you’re parking after 2pm.
“Visitors to Kilmarnock and the local community will be able to access the town centre easily in the afternoon and evening for free from any of our car parks to do some Christmas shopping or enjoy one of our town centre restaurants.”
