Free parking scheme drives surge in town centre visits

Two hours of free parking across Tameside is continuing to prove a major success, with council-run car parks seeing more than double the number of visits since the initiative was launched last summer.

Figures show that in December 2025, Tameside Council car parks recorded 129,898 visits, compared to 69,349 in December 2024.

The offer, which provides up to two hours of free parking Monday to Saturday before 6pm, was introduced in June 2025 to make visiting, shopping and spending time in Tameside’s town centres easier and more convenient for residents and visitors.

The initiative applies to all council-run car parks across the borough, including Ashton, Denton, Droylsden, Dukinfield, Hyde, Mossley and Stalybridge. It also covers the council-run car parks at Tameside Hospital and Denton Wellness Centre. Motorists still need to obtain and clearly display a ticket from the machine, even when parking for less than two hours, but there is no charge for tickets covering the free period.

Executive Member for Towns, Transport and Connectivity, Councillor Stephen Homer, said: “The success of our free parking initiative is clear. Car park use has more than doubled, and we’re seeing real benefits for residents, local businesses and town centres. This scheme was designed to make visiting and shopping in Tameside easier and more affordable, and the results show it’s working.”