Parking will be free in all Gwynedd Council car parks this Christmas in a bid to encourage people to shop local.

The council is urging people in the county to support its high street shops this Christmas, following a difficult year for the business community.

It hopes the gesture will give Gwynedd firms a welcome boost.

Free parking will be offered in Gwynedd Council’s public car parks from 12 to 27 December.

Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, leader of Gwynedd Council said: “Businesses in all parts of Gwynedd, from Bangor to Aberdyfi, Pen Llyn to Bala in Penllyn offer a fantastic range of products and special delicacies.

"This year, more than ever before, the run-up to Christmas will be extremely important for our businesses, and we very much hope the people of the county will make an effort to support Gwynedd companies over the festive period. This is our chance to thank our businesses for their efforts to help the community during the lockdown period.

“Of course, the shopping experience will be different this year and we urge everyone to respect the social distancing rules when visiting the high street to keep our communities safe.

“It is important to remember that a large number of Gwynedd businesses also offer services to buy products online, and if that’s possible it offers a completely safe way to shop locally.

"Details of a number of Gwynedd businesses that provide an online service can be found on the https://bit.ly/buylocal_2020 website and we would encourage any company that has not registered their details to take the opportunity to do so as soon as possible so they can benefit from the Christmas shopping campaign.”

Councillor Gareth Griffith, Gwynedd Council’s Cabinet member for environment, added:“We are pleased to once again offer free parking in council car parks in the run-up to Christmas.

"We hope the people of Gwynedd will make the most of the offer to support the county’s high street businesses.

“By shopping locally, rather than travelling for hours, you are helping the local economy, protecting our environment and ensuring more time to enjoy the festive period with family.”

The council said there will be a sign on every public car park pay and display machine, so if you can’t see a sign, you should check if it’s a council car park.

Caernarfon’s Ffordd y Felin car park will not be part of the scheme, and the usual pay and display arrangements will continue there, and at other independent car parks.