BARROVIANS are singing the praises two years on from Barrow BID’s launch of the ‘Free After 3’ car parking scheme.

The leaders behind the Barrow BID have asked for feedback on the plan they started in December 2016 to provide free car parking after 3pm at two major car parks in the town.

The free car parks are the multi-storey that gives instant access to Wilko’s and Debenhams and Whittaker Street which allows shoppers to easily get to the bottom end of Dalton Road.

The aims include helping people to visit the town straight from work, encouraging people to stay in the town longer and giving people the chance to use the town for late afternoon shopping or evening meals.

The night time economy has been a particular focus.

On Barrow BID’s facebook page they included a comment from one Barrow resident.

She said: “Paying for parking has always inhibited me using the town centre after I was caught out by a ticket warden.

“With the introduction of the Free After 3pm scheme I have started shopping in the town centre again.

“I now spend time strolling around the shops and often end up having an impromptu coffee.

“I now browse around shops I never intended to go to and often buy items I had not set out to purchase.

“Overall I wholeheartedly support this scheme and would like to see it rolled out to all day parking.

“It might rebuild the dying town centre.”

Following this, a stream of other comments have appeared on facebook.

Stuart Groundwater said: “Great for some shoppers not for families.

“Even if there was just a chance of a free space it might be enough to change some people’s shopping patterns.

“Let’s get Barrow bustling again.”

Margaret Kearney said: “Most shops and shopping places start to go quiet around 3 so why not encourage people who have more time to shop in the late afternoon.”

Samantha Taylor said: “No use if you have kids as I spend more time browsing whilst kids are at school.”

BID Director and owner of Cumbria Sewing Sandra Collings said: “It is always difficult to get a car park space after 3pm because so many people use it.

“The only issue is that not enough people know about it and more needs to be done.”