Free parking trials to begin in three towns later this month

12 Jun 2026

A pilot scheme enabling shoppers in Haverhill and Newmarket to park for the first hour for free, will come into effect from Monday 22 June.

And visitors to Bury St Edmunds will be able to park for free on Monday’s between 8am and 10am in the arc surface and underground car park.

West Suffolk councillors agreed in February to use up to £1.2m of council reserves over two years to support local high streets with the free parking trials. The use of reserves will help pay for the costs covered by car parking tariffs including maintenance and more than £1 million a year that has to be paid in Business Rates for the use of the land. These costs are not covered through council tax but through the income generated from car park users.

The implementation of the changes has had to wait both for the installation of new parking machines and a statutory consultation for the Traffic Regulation Order.

In Haverhill the first hour free parking will be available in the Arts Centre, Jubilee Walk, and Lower Downs Slade car parks while in Newmarket, All Saints, The Guineas, and Rous Road car parks will also be free for first hour.

Drivers will still have to display a ticket in their vehicle. They will go to the parking machine, type in their vehicle registration and then display a free ticket which will include their registration and the time their parking session is due to expire. The free ticket is not available on RingGo given this is operated through a different system to the car parking machines and they are not able to communicate with each other.

People parking in the arc in Bury St Edmunds will be able to park without a ticket between 8am and 10am on Mondays.

In all cases, they can choose to stay longer when their free parking is due to end, either by topping up on RingGo or by returning to the parking machine.

Cllr David Taylor, Cabinet Member for Operations said: “We are already working alongside our partners to encourage people to support their local High Street, bringing in more visitors and attracting extra footfall. That includes investment and work to support the growth of new businesses including start-ups on our markets. This free parking trial, put forward by councillors at our February Council meeting, sits alongside that work.

“We have consulted with the Business Improvement Districts, town councils and the wider public on the proposals. We are keen to ensure that any change won’t put off people who want to come to our towns, stay longer and spend more. This is a trial and we will be monitoring the scheme for its effectiveness and to ensure that any impact contributes positively to the growth of our town centres.”
 

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