Free parking could reshape two Sandwell town centres

beehiveweb.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-11 17:54 3 min read

Aerial view showing urban density and parking areas in a UK town center.

Shoppers will be able to park free for up to two hours at three council car parks in Wednesbury and Great Bridge from 1 September 2026. Market traders in both town centres will also pay no stall pitch fees during the year-long pilot.

The trial runs until 31 August 2027. It is intended to test whether removing two everyday costs can bring more visitors and traders into town centres where the markets are currently operating at a deficit.

Where the two-hour free parking will apply

The parking offer is limited to three named car parks. Sandwell Council has not said that free parking will apply at every council-run or privately operated car park in the two town centres.

Town centre	Eligible car park
Great Bridge	Great Bridge Market Place
Wednesbury	Ridding Lane car park
Wednesbury	Albert Street car park

Drivers can use up to two hours of free parking at these locations during the pilot period. The announcement does not provide operational details such as whether motorists will need to obtain a ticket or register their vehicle, so visitors should check the signs and payment equipment at the car park before leaving their vehicle.

For shoppers, the immediate benefit is the removal of parking charges for shorter visits. Local shops, cafés and services could benefit if that encourages more people to spend time in Wednesbury town centre and Great Bridge town centre, although the council will use the trial to establish whether this effect materialises.

Free pitches remove a direct cost for market traders

Market stall pitch fees will be waived at Wednesbury and Great Bridge markets for the same period, from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.

That removes a direct trading cost for existing stallholders and lowers one barrier for people considering taking a pitch. The council hopes the measure will increase the number of active stalls, strengthen the markets and generate additional activity for surrounding businesses.

Free parking could reshape two Sandwell town centres

Wednesbury and Great Bridge were chosen because their markets face greater difficulties than other Sandwell centres. The council says markets in West Bromwich and Blackheath are performing strongly, while those included in this pilot currently operate at a deficit.

Councillor Ray Nock, Leader of Sandwell Council, said the locations would provide the clearest evidence of whether free parking and pitch support can increase footfall and attract traders. He stressed that selecting the two centres was not about favouring one town over another.

The pilot will be judged on activity, not promises

Sandwell Council will monitor three main areas throughout the 12-month trial:

use of the participating car parks;
the number of stalls operating at both markets;
wider activity across the two town centres.

These measures should show whether visitors respond to the two-hour parking offer and whether waiving pitch fees produces a sustained increase in market trading. The source announcement does not specify numerical targets, so success will depend on the evidence collected during the pilot rather than a published footfall or stallholder threshold.

The findings will feed into Sandwell Council’s wider Town Centre Strategy and inform later decisions about regeneration, parking and markets across the borough. Any extension to other Sandwell town centres will be considered only after the pilot has ended and its results have been reviewed.

Source: Sandwell Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Source trail

The locations, dates and eligible benefits were checked against Sandwell Council's published announcement.

Checks

Confirmed that the pilot runs from 1 September 2026 to 31 August 2027.
Confirmed the two-hour limit and the three participating car parks.
Confirmed that stall pitch fees will be waived at Wednesbury and Great Bridge markets.
Checked the council's stated monitoring measures and the reason the two centres were selec...

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