SHOPPERS in Barrow are being given a helping hand thanks to free car parking in the town centre in the run-up to Christmas.

Starting from Thursday, December 1, parking in the Whittaker Street (near to Marks & Spencer) and Portland Walk (also known as the multi-storey) car parks in Barrow will be free from 3pm every day.

Although timed to begin to boost festive shopping in Barrow, the initiative will run for a six-month period, following an agreement between Barrow Borough Council and the Barrow Business Improvement District group.

Barrow BID Manager Phil Collier said: “We have been in discussion with Barrow Borough Council for some time now about a number of initiatives and it is great that they have agreed to a “FREE FROM 3” from 1 December, in time for the run up to Christmas.

“We hope that this will see a number of immediate positives. Hopefully, people will come in to the town centre later in the day to do their Christmas shopping and then perhaps stay on to enjoy an early evening coffee or a drink and a bite to eat, thereby bringing custom to both the both the retail and evening economies of the town.”

Barrow Borough Council will put signs up at both car parks.

Barrow BID Chair, Simon Craig added: “I would like to thank Barrow Borough Council for supporting the BID with this concession and we hope that this will be the first of a number of such partnership arrangements.

"Due to some technical / administrative difficulties our BID Levy bills didn’t go out as early as planned and therefore we have been somewhat delayed in delivering planned initiatives due to the obvious lack of funds.

“With the BID Levy bills having now been sent to the 461 levy paying businesses, we are looking

forward to getting things moving forward in the New Year and throughout 2017.”