Dudley Council has announced it will scrap evening and overnight parking fees in a bid to boost the borough’s night time economy.

People visiting town centres, whether for a function, event or to eat out will now be able to park for free from 7pm to 7am. This initiative will run alongside existing free parking arrangements, which allows people to park free for up to two hours between 7am and 7pm. Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, cabinet member for environmental services, said:

"We want to do all we can to support businesses in our town centres, whether their core hours are during the day or evening.

"It therefore seems only right that we now go that extra mile to extend our free parking to also support our evening traders, who are crucial in helping us create a successful and thriving night time economy across all our town centres.”

The free parking can also be used overnight by residents living nearby to reduce the amount of on street car parking in busy areas. For information on current parking tariffs in Dudley Council car parks people can visit the Dudley Council website.