MOTORISTS in Ceredigion could get free parking for Christmas shopping, with council Cabinet members being asked to approve three days of free parking.

The council’s highways department wants to offer free parking in the authority’s car parks on the three Saturdays leading up to Christmas to help encourage shoppers into the county’s towns.

Huw Morgan, the strategic director for thriving communities, said the proposal would be similar to the free parking offer made in previous years and would see free parking offered after 10am in the build-up to Christmas.

In a report to the council’s Cabinet, Mr Morgan said: “To promote seasonal shopping at the county’s towns, Cabinet resolved to not charge at the council’s pay and display car parks from 10am onwards on the three Saturdays before Christmas in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Such a decision is well received by Chambers of Trade.

“It is proposed that similar arrangements are made again this Christmas, not to charge at the council’s pay and display car parks from 10am onwards on the three Saturdays before Christmas 2015, namely 5, 12 and 19 December.”