New parking rules begin

DRIVERS can take advantage of another free car parking offer in Oldham town centre this weekend.

From tomorrow, cars can be parked free for three hours in all town-centre car parks at weekends.

Parking on the street in pay and display bays will continue to be free for up to 30 minutes every day, while free all-day parking in the Hobson Street car park will apply at weekends.

Councillor Shoab Akhtar, Cabinet member for business, skills and the town centre, said: “The major change to note is that you can now park for up to three hours at council-owned car parks on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The free offer no longer applies to weekdays, but this is an extension from the previous two hours’ offer at weekends, and you can choose from almost 2,000 spaces at town-centre sites.”

Drivers need to take and display a free ticket from a parking machine while they park.

The new scheme extends the free parking pilot from January, which saw a 31 per cent increase in people using car parks.

Two-thirds of motorists polled said they had come to Oldham because of the free parking.

But an evaluation found town-centre office workers were taking advantage of the offer during the week.

The new scheme is expected to cost the council an extra £244,000 over 12 months.

Included in the new offer is an increase in the maximum stay at Tommyfield and Clegg Street car parks from two to three hours every day.