Ashfield District Council has introduced two hours free parking in all of its town centre car parks.

All council car parks had been free throughout the summer and the council said it was bringing in the new tariffs as part of its Covid-19 recovery plans.

Coun David Martin, cabinet member for streets, parks and town centres, said: “So many people have been shopping locally during lockdown and are appreciating the benefits of having high-quality products available on their doorstep. Two hours free parking will encourage residents to continue to shop local, and to continue to visit our town centres on a regular basis and help them thrive.

“We have been working towards this since pre lockdown and it forms part of our ongoing commitment to make our town centres fantastic places to visit and work.”

Car park users will still need a parking voucher for the two hours free parking, as well as any subsequent hours after that.

Cashless transactions for parking fees are also set to be introduced via a mobile app.

The council is working with industry experts PayByPhone to ensure charges in all of its car parks can be paid for without the need for cash or use of the on-site machines. This will also include the ability to extend your stay at a car park directly through the app.

Coun Martin continued: “The introduction of the parking app is excellent for our town centres and much more convenient for shoppers. We are keeping the current ticket machines in place but by having another option, we hope to see more people using the car parks and spending time and money in our town centres.”