Thursday 23 November 2017
People parking in St Peter Port will have longer to shop and socialise in Town this Christmas, because of changes to the permitted length of stay in certain St Peter Port car parks.
The following arrangements will apply from Thursday 30th November 2017 to Thursday 4th January 2018:
- The 2 hour disc parking zones at the Albert Pier, Crown Pier and North Beach car parks will be extended to 3 hours on weekdays.
- On Saturdays, all parking restrictions at the above zones, plus the existing 3 hour spaces on North Beach, will be suspended.
In addition to the above, the car parks of Sir Charles Frossard House and Lukis House are being made available to the public on Saturdays, and from 18:00 to 22:00 on late night shopping Thursdays (30th November, and 7th, 14th & 21st December 2017). Travel on scheduled bus services between these locations and the Town Terminus on the days in question will be free during these times, with additional services also operating on most routes during late night shopping Thursdays. Further details in this regard will be available from CT Plus at www.buses.gg.
Guernsey Harbours are also supporting the initiative by making available the Port Permit spaces at St Julian's Pier for public use on designated late night shopping evenings and on Saturdays for the duration of the temporary arrangements.
The Christmas parking measures have been approved by the Committee for the Environment & Infrastructure (E&I) and supported by the Committee for Economic Development, following a request from the Town Centre Partnership (TCP) to continue with previously trialled de-restrictions during the Christmas period. The intention of the temporary arrangements is to allow greater dwell time and on-island purchasing over the Christmas period.
David Cherry, Chairman of the TCP Trustees said:
"We are pleased to be working with E&I for a fifth year to arrange temporary parking measures for the festive period. We recognise that the availability of nearby parking is a key concern for people accessing Town, and we wish to support Town traders at this busy time of year by allowing people more time to enjoy all that Town has to offer".
The States of Guernsey and the TCP will be jointly seeking people's experiences of the temporary measures, to monitor the effectiveness of the arrangements. Those parking in Town are encouraged to complete the online survey via www.gov.gg/xmasparking. The findings of this survey will inform the States of Guernsey's approach to future public parking arrangements.
Town traders wishing to advertise the Christmas parking arrangements to their customers may download a promotional poster at gov.gg/xmasparking, and can also receive materials for use on social media by emailing the Committee for Economic Development at retail@gov.gg.
As always, but particularly during these temporary measures for the festive period, commuters to Town are reminded that short-stay spaces are intended for use by those shopping, socializing and accessing services in Town.
Ian Burdekin, Head of the Chamber of Commerce Retail Sub-group said:
"We support the Christmas parking measures to allow people longer to explore the vibrant mix of Town shops and services. However, to ensure that these spaces are prioritised for consumers, we would encourage people commuting to St Peter Port for work to use the long-stay spaces available elsewhere in Town. On Saturdays and late night shopping Thursdays we would also recommend the use of the free bus service between Town and the parking made available at Frossard House and Lukis House."
In addition to the above relaxation of parking measures, people are reminded that the scheduled bus service offers an alternative transport means throughout the run up to Christmas, enabling people to shop and enjoy the festivities without the need to worry about driving home or overstaying any parking restrictions.
