Stephen Ardley

A council has slashed its car parking permit charges by up to 40pc in a bid to attract visitors to five market towns on a more regular basis.

The move by Waveney District Council is designed to encourage people to make the most of the shops and facilities in Beccles, Bungay, Halesworth, Lowestoft and Southwold.

The price reduction includes a brand new weekend permit costing £50 a year for unlimited Saturday and Sunday parking.

An annual permit has been reduced from £675 to £350, while the quarterly option goes down from £180 to £100.

A monthly permit now costs £40, instead of £65 and for a week the price is £12.50 instead of £22.

Stephen Ardley, Waveney’s cabinet member for operational partnerships said he believed the decision should provide a welcome boost to businesses.

“With Christmas now done, thoughts turn to saving money, particularly in these difficult economic times. We have given this very careful consideration and believe that this is exactly the right time to introduce a new pricing structure, which rewards those who park frequently and encourages others to take up permits for the first time.

“Good, hard working businesses and retail stores need people in our towns and this move shows that when it comes to encouraging visitors, boosting our local economy and promoting growth, Waveney means business.”

Graham Catchpole, mayor of Beccles said: “This is a very imaginative and realistic move by Waveney. Although Beccles offers an extremely good shopping and business environment it needs all the help it can get in these tough economic times. We have to keep people using our town centres and this is an excellent step forward.”

Permits can be purchased from the Marina Customer Service Centre in Lowestoft or any of the district offices throughout Waveney and are applicable for all council car parks.