'Free after 3' parking promotion to boost Christmas trade in Elgin

There will be free parking in Elgin’s multi-storey car parks after 3pm over the Christmas period.

Councillors agreed to repeat last year’s ‘Free after 3’ promotion to encourage more visitors to town centre shops.

The promotion will run from November 26 until December 31.

Visitors using the multi-storey car park after 3pm during this period will not need to put money into the ticket machines to use the spaces. Any cash deposited into the machine in error cannot be refunded.

A sign will be displayed at each ticketing point advising of the free parking times and periods.

Transportation manager for Moray Council,Nicola Moss, said: “Promoting a Free after 3 scheme provides an opportunity to add value to the promotion of Elgin as a shopping destination, and will support the Elgin Ice Festival that’s taking place during that period.”

Traders in the town centre backed the promotion, with many claiming increased footfall during the last trial period in 2015.

The promotion will cost Moray Council an estimated £2,500 in lost revenue, but it is anticipated that traders in the town will see an upturn in sales.

Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.

Headquartered in  Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.