Gateshead Council has announced that drivers will be able to park free for the first two hours in two council-run car parks in Whickham, Tyne and Wear, as a measure to support local shops and businesses. The scheme was announced in February 2026 and is intended to encourage more residents to visit the high street.
The change will apply to the Whickham Shopping Centre West (long-stay) and Whickham Shopping Centre East (short-stay) car parks. The council aims to implement the policy in the 2026/27 financial year, with a target for it to take effect from April 2026; visitors will be able to use these spaces for the first two hours without charge. Gateshead Council says it will reconfigure pay-and-display machines and update the PayByPhone app settings so the free initial period is applied automatically for short stays, making it easier to visit the pharmacy, post office or local cafés on Front Street.
According to the council’s budget papers and local planning material, the move is intended to bring more shoppers back to the town centre and support small businesses. Traders in Whickham have long argued that parking charges introduced in late 2017 contributed to reduced footfall, and the new policy is framed as a way to make shopping locally a more affordable option.
The change aligns with Gateshead’s wider parking strategy, which prioritises short-stay parking to support town-centre vitality. Previously, after the introduction of pay-and-display tariffs, the council’s Whickham car parks operated without an initial free period (subject to some exemptions such as motorcycles and blue badge holders); the new two-hour free window reverses that policy for short visits.
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