Free parking in Wigan: Details of Christmas shopping plans in Wigan and Leigh announced

To help residents Support Local and make a head-start on Christmas shopping, most Wigan Council car parks will be free from 3pm on weekdays from Friday, November

19.

This offer will continue until January with the existing free weekend parking scheme remaining in place until March.

Council leader David Molyneux said: “We know how popular the free parking schemes are and we hope they continue to serve as an extra incentive to shop in our town centres.

“Our spend, support and shop local campaign is ongoing and it recognises how important this time of year is for our local economy.

“We encourage all of our residents and visitors to the borough to take advantage of this offer and support our markets, independent traders and larger stores.”It is likely to be the last time that free festive parking will be available in the Galleries because it is set to be demolished next year as part of the Galleries25 project. Once complete there will be several hundred fewer spaces in Wigan town centre but studies have shown that on average there are many hundreds more spare at any one time.

The extended free parking offer coincides with the start of Frost Fest with the Christmas lights switch-on, markets and parade events taking place across the borough.

Free after 3pm parking will be in place from Friday, November 19 and will continue until Friday, January 7.

Wigan’s town centre lights switch-on takes place on Saturday, November 20 between 3pm and 6pm with a host of performers to entertain the crowds.

Please note that Wigan’s Civic Centre and Chapel Lane car parks are not included in this offer with the latter still in use as a Covid-19 testing

site.

Free weekend parking continues until Sunday, March 27, 2022.

For programme updates and Eventbrite links for Frost Fest, follow Wigan Council and This is Wigan on Facebook and Twitter.

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