Shoppers can park for free in Dorchester after BID members agreed to fund the Park4FREE scheme.
More than 70 shops and other businesses in Dorchester and the Dorchester BID are paying the parking charges for anyone who spends more than £10 in a participating business.
Two hours’ parking will be refunded to shoppers via the parking voucher scheme operated by the Dorchester BID.
When you spend £10 or more in the participating shops and businesses they will discount £1.50 off your purchase. Just look out for the blue Park4FREE stickers in windows.
When you park in town using the meters to park, you get a double part ticket. The first part stays in the car on the dash as usual and the second part is the voucher that can be redeemed in an ever-growing number of shops in town that want to thank their customers by paying for their parking. The popular scheme has been running for many years, when two hours’ parking cost £1, but members have agreed to continue after the prices went up.
In addition, if you park on a street where the meters only produce a single ticket next time you are in town you can take your old ticket and get the £1.50 off a purchase – The date on the ticket does not matter!
DBID project director Phil Gordon said: “I was of course concerned with the new prices coming in but I am very proud of the town’s businesses as they have risen to the challenge, worked with me and have agreed to meet the cost 50/50 with a subsidy from the DBID to keep this innovative scheme alive.
“Essentially, come shopping in Dorchester and you can park all day long for free, two hours at a time, just as long as you keep spending money in