A campaign calling for a national minimum of 90 minutes’ free parking in town and city centres across England is gaining momentum, with retailers being urged to back the initiative.
The Parliamentary petition, created by Emma Hussain, calls for legislation requiring local authorities to provide at least 90 minutes of free parking, with the aim of supporting high street businesses and local economies.
The campaign – ‘Support Free Parking. Back Local Businesses. Bring People Back’ – has been developed from Voices of Retail, Spring & Autumn Fair’s annual research programme produced in partnership with Faire. Research from the organisation found that 63 per cent of consumers would be encouraged to visit their local high street more often if free parking was available. Meanwhile, 38 per cent of independent retailers said free parking would have the biggest positive impact on their businesses.
The petition has already passed 5,000 signatures, with 10,000 triggering a Government response and 100,000 signatures leading to consideration for a debate in Parliament. The campaign is aiming to reach the 100,000 target by its closing date of 23 January 2027.
Organisers have secured coverage across national and regional media and are contacting local MPs to build further support.
Jackson Szabo, Portfolio Director at Spring & Autumn Fair, said: “Retailers aren’t asking for special treatment. They’re asking us to remove one of the practical barriers that both businesses and shoppers believe is discouraging visits to our town centres. When retailers and consumers independently arrive at the same conclusion, I don’t think we should ignore it, we should act.”
Retailers across the country are being invited to join the campaign through a dedicated Retailer Toolkit, including window posters, QR-code till stickers, social media graphics and digital assets, enabling businesses to encourage customers to sign and share the petition.
