Visitors to Rotherham town centre can now benefit from one hour’s free parking in council-run car parks thanks to investment from Rotherham Council.
As part of its 2025/26 budget, the Council announced that it had committed £50,000 to offer free parking for up to one hour in Council-operated car parks in the town centre Monday to Friday, aiming to support local businesses, boost footfall and encourage residents to shop locally.
The offer is now in place. Anyone wishing to take advantage of the hour free parking must get a ticket from the machine.
The one-hour free parking is in addition to free parking already available on a weekend in Council-owned off-street car parks in Rotherham town centre, with no ticket required.
It’s the latest example of Rotherham Council investment designed to improve its town centre experience following the £47m committed to Forge Island, which has welcomed Arc Cinema, Travelodge and Vetro Lounge with another new restaurant, Sygnature Dish, set to open its doors this summer.
The Council committed a further £570,000 investment as part of its 2025/25 budget to launch a new ‘Street Safe Team’ focused on improving public safety by tackling issues such as anti-social behaviour and littering.
Councillor John Williams, Cabinet Member for Transport, Jobs and the Local Economy, said: “Our introduction of one hour of free parking is another practical step to support our town centre businesses. Anyone needing to nip to the bank, market or into a shop can now do so without worrying about paying, so long as they display a ticket.
“The free parking initiative underlines our focus on delivering a vibrant, safe, and welcoming town centre experience for all.”
The car parks free for up to one hour, Monday to Friday, are:
- Drummond Street
- Wellgate multi storey
- Wellgate North
- Scala
- Unity Place
- Clifton Hall
- Douglas Street
- Bailey House 3
- Westgate
- The Statues
- Forge Island
