CHEAP, all-day parking will be available to those visiting or working in Stratford at the weekends.
A brand new scheme known as ‘park and stride’ will allow visitors and those working, to park up in the 205-space, multi-storey car park on Arden Street – a brief walk from the town centre – for £2.50 a day.
The scheme is thanks to a deal between Stratforward Business Improvement District (BID) and the team running Stratford Hospital’s car park, and will launch on Saturday (May 26).
Stratforward BID director Joe Baconnet believed the arrangement would have a positive impact all round during a time of increasing change in the high street, national health issues and financial pressures.
He said: “This is a win-win for everyone involved. Staff who work in businesses in Stratford struggle to find centrally-located parking and even if they do it is often felt to be unaffordable, especially for staff who work at weekends when Stratford is usually at its busiest.
“Hopefully the knock-on effect will be that more town centre car parking spaces will be available for visitors, so generating more income for individual businesses.
“It should also help reduce waiting times and queues for town centre car parks, in turn reducing congestion which will hopefully reduce emissions and help the environment.
“There is also a more obvious health benefit – by parking here people will have a stroll into town, and we all know that even the shortest amount of physical exercise is beneficial to our wellbeing.”
Hospital spokesperson Samantha Macdonald added the hospital was keen to support the wider community and hospital ‘downtime’ was often the busiest time for other areas in town.
