Lewisham Council is once again offering free car parking on three Saturdays in the run up to Christmas.
Shoppers will be able to park for free all day in all Council-run car parks in Blackheath, Catford, Deptford, Forest Hill, Lewisham and Sydenham on Saturday 6, 13 and 20 December.
The start of the free parking offer falls on 6 December – the traditional start of the Christmas shopping rush – and also the UKs ‘Small Business Saturday’ which is a national campaign to encourage shoppers to shop in their local high streets in the run up to Christmas.
Sir Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, said: “Small businesses play a huge role in making our town centres the vibrant and prosperous areas they are to work in and to shop. We are pleased to once again support Small Business Saturday by waiving parking charges in all Council-run car parks on the 6, 13 and 20 December. I hope people will take this opportunity to shop locally and support local businesses in their communities.”
The free car parking offer only applies to car parks that are managed by Lewisham Council and does not include on-street parking, Lewisham Shopping Centre (which is privately owned) or Blackheath Station car park which is now owned by Network Rail.
For a list of all participating car parks visit www.lewisham.gov.uk/freeparking.
Christmas shopping in Catford? – I can only assume that the Lewisham council parking officer has either never visited Catford or has a sardonic sense of humour. Christmas shopping at poundland land or the 99p store anyone?! Spoken by someone who lives there.
Simon – my commiserations if you really live in Poundland and the 99p store 😉
You know that huge digital billboard on the a205 South Circular Road just before St Dunstans College, heading eastwards?
I wish Lewisham Council would use that to advertise free parking for non-Catford borough car drivers cutting through Catford via the a205. Maybe they might be happy to use free parking, if they are alerted to it, and frequent a few of the first class cafes and restaurants there. How many other town centres have such open access to a massive council car parking like Lewishams?
Unfortunately if the council open it up for ‘free’, then the Bromley and Downham people will probably just end up driving their cars there and parking it all day, to take the train into central London.
If they granted a few hours of free parking, this would make sense. I agree that it doesn’t take all day to go shopping in Poundland/99p store. This is just an invitation for outlyers to abuse the offer and give nothing back to the town centre.