Erewash Borough Council’s free one-hour parking scheme in town centre car parks will be extended until October while a full review of its impact on high street regeneration is carried out.

Councillors agreed on Thursday (25th) that the all-party Scrutiny Committee should evaluate all aspects of the trial scheme – particularly its impact on town centre trade and the financial cost to the council. The Full Council meeting was told that more than 341,000 free one-hour tickets were issued between 5 January and 31 May this year – but councillors were also told that the pilot scheme has had an impact on the council’s income.

Free one hour parking was launched in January as a six month pilot and has cost the council £91,000 so far, with an estimated £60,000 further loss of income between now and October.

Councillor Garry Hickton, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Environment, says: “It is right that we extend the scheme for a further three months to give the all-party Scrutiny Committee time to analyse the consultation and survey data gathered and also look at the considerable effect the scheme has had on our income. We can afford it in the short term as a one-off from our contingency budget, but the all-party review will need to look at how it can be sustained in the long term.”

The results of the review will go to the Full Council meeting on 15 October.