FREE Christmas parking could give a much needed boost to Petersfield's winter traders after East Hampshire District Council officers proposed an innovative pilot scheme. Parking has long been a controversial issue in the town, with shoppers and traders campaigning for cheaper and more widely available provisions. But now EHDC officers are recommending shoppers be given six free afternoon slots in November and December in a bid to encourage seasonal trade in the area. The scheme would cost £15,530 after an advertising campaign, loss of income from parking tickets and a shoppers survey which would be carried out before and during the experiment. Petersfield shoppers would be able to park free in district run car parks from 2 pm to 6 pm on November 30 and December 7, 8, 14 and 15. Meanwhile, Alton's car parks would be free at the same times on December 1, 2, 8, 9, 15 and 19. And if the scheme gets off the ground and were to be successful, a decision would be made early next year which could see it become a fixture in the winter calendar. The idea has been welcomed by town councillors, but there were reservations this week from Petersfield Marketing Ltd, the latest group set up to promote the town after it replaced The Associates of Petersfield Enterprises (APE) last year. Group chairman Vernon Peake told The Herald free parking was desperately needed in mid- November when he hoped to organise a Children in Need event. He said: "There is a lot of controversy in the town about the cost of parking especially in the Waitrose car park. "So anything like this would be welcomed. "I just wish the traders would get behind us. They are certainly not forthcoming in their support at all. "We have been asking them to put up posters for our Children In Need event on November 18. "It is a pity the district council are not offering free parking for that as well. That might be a consideration for them. "And I would say between 2 pm and 6 pm is very restrictive. That time is OK for mothers picking up their children from school. "But I do think it is a great idea – anything to encourage people to come in to Petersfield. "If there is an incentive, people will shop more on those six days than they would any other day." Councillors were due to discuss the scheme at an EHDC cabinet meeting on Wednesday. They were set to vote on a proposal from EHDC head of planning policy, Alison Wood, which said: "The purpose of the scheme is to attract more shoppers to Alton and Petersfield. "It will need to be well advertised, both locally and across the wider catchment area. "The district council will place advertisements and assist with a publicity campaign. "The local retailers should also do all they can to attract more shoppers to Alton and Petersfield. "Alton Chamber of Commerce and Industry is actively seeking ways of improving trade in Alton. "The chamber has written to the district council asking if some free parking could be made available in December to encourage more shoppers to come to Alton. Mrs Wood had met with commerce representatives and the manager of Rams Walk, in Petersfield town centre, before drawing up the plans. It was decided all-day free parking would not be recommended as it would "enable commuters and workers to park all day for nothing". The report suggested that if the pilot got the go-ahead, a survey should be undertaken to gauge its popularity with shoppers. "Once the results are available, a decision can be taken as to whether to continue the scheme in future years," said the report. George Watkinson, the town council's representative on Petersfield Marketing Limited (PML), said any free parking in the festive period, no matter how small, would be beneficial to trade. He said: "Anything to help the town centre trade is a good idea and free parking does help. I would support it strongly. "It is just a pity it is not longer. But something is better than nothing. "I can understand the district's view that they cannot give free parking all the time, so I am very grateful for the small amount." l CHRISTMAS came early for Petersfield motorists in the Festival Hall car park this week. Arriving for work early on Monday morning, they discovered the ticket machine in the car park offering "free parking till March 11, l979". The same offer was made to motorists on Tuesday and Wednesday, although many disbelievers left messages in their windscreen explaining why they had not paid. A spokesman for East Hampshire District Council told The Herald the free offer was due to a "computer error" and contractors were being urged, daily, to fix the machines. It is not yet known how much the error has lost the council in car parking revenue.