MOTORISTS in three towns will benefit from free parking as Shropshire Council prepares to introduce new charges.

Parking will be free at Shropshire Council car parks in Oswestry, Ellesmere and Wem on Sunday (January 27) as the authority re-programmes machines and puts up signs before the charges come into effect the next day.

The free parking will not be in place at The Moors and Castlefields car parks in Ellesmere, but will be at the Mereside on-street parking.

Councillor Steven Davenport, lead member for highways and transport, said: “Our new parking strategy is designed to make parking charges clearer and simpler, and to deliver a wide range of other improvements and benefits to people using our car parks.

The new parking arrangements are being introduced as part of Shropshire Council’s new parking strategy.

The new set up includes a set price per hour to park and 15 minutes of pop-and-shop parking, including a 10-minute’ statutory grace period.

Payment by contactless, card and coin with new pay and display machines will also be available – as well as cashless parking with MiPermit, which payment using through a smartphone, text message, website and telephone.

There will be free parking from 6pm to 8am, as well as after eight hours in all car parks, except Festival Square in Oswestry

Under the arrangments, there will be no more short-stay parking, but there will be

free parking on Sundays and bank/public holidays in all car parks, except in Festival Square, Oswestry and excluding HGV parking charges at Oswald Road, Oswestry

Half-price parking on Sundays and Bank/public holidays in Festival Square will be introduced.

There will also be discounted weekly, season and residents charges in all car parks, except Festival Square.

Cllr Davenport added: “The new parking charges and arrangements agreed last autumn have already been successfully introduced in Shrewsbury and Ludlow, Bridgnorth, Much Wenlock and Church Stretton.

“The new arrangements offer a wide range of benefits to users of our car parks, and a number of improvements on the current arrangements, including a variety of free and cheap parking, and parking charges that are easier to understand – together with a wider range of payment methods.”

New parking charges are due to be rolled out in Whitchurch, Prees Heath and Market Drayton on February 11.

For more information, visit shropshire.gov.uk/parking