THERE will be free parking on Sundays in Dunfermline throughout March.

It will apply to all Fife Council facilities and the hope is it will encourage more people to visit and shop in the city centre.

However, councillors at the City of Dunfermline area committee who wanted to go further and make the whole weekend free were told it would cost too much.

Councillor James Calder, the convener of the committee, said: “We recognise that the cost of living crisis is having an adverse effect on people's spending and consequently on city centre businesses.

"Our intention for this initiative is to offer additional support to these businesses by increasing footfall."

The temporary suspension of Sunday parking charges will apply on March 5, 12, 19 and 26.

Councillors were told the estimated cost – which includes loss of income and costs to amend signs and ticket machines – would be £5,700.

The council made £100,000 available for the decentralisation of parking, giving the seven area committees more control of the budget and the chance to try local initiatives, and Dunfermline's share was £18,000.

Cllr Hilton asked why, given they had extra money available, they didn't go further and make waive charges for parking on Saturday too.

Susan Keenlyside, service manager for sustainable transport and parking, said: "In terms of Saturday and income, the loss of revenue would be beyond the budget.

"Saturdays raise significantly more income than Sundays do.

"It's more than three times the income as we can charge all day on a Saturday and it's much busier."

She added: "We also really need to be mindful to ensure we have a good turnover of spaces, as occupancy is much greater on a Saturday."

Ms Keenlyside said there would be a risk that workers would take all the parking spaces closest to the city centre, making it harder for shoppers and visitors to get parked.

Cllr Calder and Cllr Gavin Ellis have previously backed the Press campaign for free Sunday parking.

Cllr Ellis asked if other days had been considered and if businesses had been consulted.

He also said that, given the amount of money raised in Dunfermline through parking charges, they weren't getting enough of it back to spend here.

Cllr Calder it had been a short "timeframe" and that they would do more consultation and plan ahead before trying anything similar next year.

At the moment, charges only apply on Sundays from 1pm.

Unfortunately, the council admitted that pay and display meters cannot be changed to reflect the change.

A spokesperson said: "There will be temporary signs on the meters, reminding drivers that Sunday is free, however we cannot give refunds for anyone who has still chosen to pay."

Dunfermline previously offered free Sunday parking during the pandemic, when charges were dropped between November 2020 and February 2021, at a cost of £19,500.

They also ran it between January and March 2020, following an initiative to operate a shuttle bus from Leys Park Road over the 2019 festive period.

Steve Sellars, from road safety and travel planning, admitted that, in terms of increasing footfall, the impact of the initiatives had been "variable".

However he added that, as a "suite of measures to encourage people into the city centre" it should prove beneficial.