Calls for free parking in small town centres are being backed by traders.

High streets minister Marcus Jones has suggested meter-free zones in an effort to save shops from closure.

His comments came after it was revealed Cardigan council in Wales saw custom increase by up to 50% after it scrapped the fees when thieves destroyed the town’s four parking machines.

Mr Jones said: “I think it’s really important councils develop their policies to make sure they are attracting people to come and shop and frequent the high street.

“Unfair parking fines push up the cost of living and undermine high streets.

“Instead, councils should be focusing efforts on supporting town centres and motorists, not by raising money through over-zealous parking enforcement.”

Sittingbourne Retail Association spokesman Sara Seabridge says it would be of “immense benefit” to retailers, especially the smaller shops who often lose out on passing trade.

She said: “People are usually rushing back to their cars after visiting a major brand store instead of spending some time browsing and window shopping.

“I wouldn’t consider commuters a problem, as I would assume a start time for the free parking would be after commuters have left, so 9am to 5pm. Perhaps a time limit on the free parking would be set also to prevent this happening, say three to four hours.”

Sheerness Town Team chairman John Nurden also supports the idea.

He said: “Marcus Jones’ comments are a breath of fresh air.

“It is not rocket science that shoppers with cars will be attracted to out-of-town centres with free parking at the expense of traditional high streets.

“We are relatively lucky in Sheerness that we have 20-minutes free parking in the High Street and the Broadway but that is still very little time to visit any more than one shop.

“We would like to see at least the first one or two hours free in our town car parks.

“That would stop commuters from parking all day for free. It would also be a welcome boost to our hard-pressed traders.”

A Freedom of Information Act request revealed earlier this year how Swale council raises £1.5 million a year in revenue from its 68 car parks.

Cabinet member for environmental and rural affairs, Cllr David Simmons (Con) has responded to Mr Jones’s call.

He said: “I do understand why people think introducing free parking would help local businesses, but this needs to be weighed against a number of disadvantages.

“Free parking in the town centres would inevitably attract more long-stay commuter parking around the train stations. This would reduce the number of spaces available for visitors and shoppers during the day, and have a negative impact on local businesses.

“Also, income from parking is used to not only maintain the car parks, but supports other council services and helps keep council tax down for local people. Even an initial free period would require additional resources to monitor when cars arrive and how long they remain.

“This would be expensive, and possibly lead to an increase in charges to cover the cost, which could also lead to a negative impact for businesses. The last thing we want to do would be create a situation that could ultimately harm businesses more than it helps them.”