Park, meet, shop and eat in Torbay this December and pay for just an hour’s parking

News Release PR8533 - published on 22 November 2021

Between 1 December and 24 December, reduced parking fees will be offered in selected Torbay Council car parks.

This means that shoppers and visitors to Torquay, Paignton and Brixham town centres can pay for an hour and stay for the day.

This is the third year in a row that we have offered the parking promotion to support local businesses during the festive period.

Each of the main town centres offer something different. With a wide range of independent outlets, leisure activities, art galleries and cuisines to sample – visitors can meet, shop and eat this December without worrying their parking will expire.

Research conducted by TDA found that around 40 per cent of high street businesses in the Bay did not have a website. Businesses without a web presence rely solely on customers visiting in person. The Christmas parking offer is a way in which we are encouraging people to support local businesses, particularly after a difficult couple of years.

It’s been a good year for new businesses opening in Torbay. According to data provided by Inform Direct, 882 businesses were started in Torbay in 2020, and over 7,000 new companies across the County were formally registered. This data is further backed up by TDA’s Torbay Business Advisor, who reported more startup enquiries than ever before since March 2020. Although the pandemic has brought about some casualties, Torbay’s high streets have seen new restaurants, salons and shops open and thrive since March 2020, with more set to come in 2022.

Cllr Steve Darling, Leader of the Council, said; “I’m delighted that this initiative is launched just in time to help with Small Business Saturday when people are encouraged to support independent traders. Local businesses are at the heart of Torbay, and we want to make it as easy as we can for people to shop locally and support local business, especially over the Christmas period. Despite the influx of visitors, we’ve had over the summer, it has been another hard year for some of our local businesses, we still must all do all we can to support them.”

Cllr Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture for Torbay Council, said; “There are so many fantastic shops in our town centres. This December, I’d encourage people to visit a town centre they may not normally visit to see for themselves the variety on offer. The parking promotion gives shoppers and visitors the confidence to explore, relax, enjoy and support local businesses.”

Town centre businesses can support the campaign by downloading posters and displaying them at their own premises.

Pay for an hour, stay for the day

The scheme will run from 1 December to 24 December inclusive at the following car parks:

Torquay - Lower Union Lane and Union Square. Please be aware of the closing times of both car parks
Paignton - Victoria multi-storey
Brixham - Central, Freshwater and Oxen Cove

The fee of £1.40 will cover parking from when you arrive until midnight the same day.

For motorists using Brixham Central, the £1.40 fee will allow for up to a maximum stay of 3 hours: this would normally cost up to £3.50.

For Lower Union Lane payment should be on entry and not when you leave.