CAR parking charges in the Suffolk Coastal area have been frozen for the second year running in a bid to attract shoppers into local towns.Suffolk Coastal district council hopes the move will benefit small businesses and attract shoppers away from larger towns, such as Ipswich.

CAR parking charges in the Suffolk Coastal area have been frozen for the second year running in a bid to attract shoppers into local towns.

Suffolk Coastal district council hopes the move will benefit small businesses and attract shoppers away from larger towns, such as Ipswich.

Ray Herring, leader of Suffolk Coastal district council, said: "When you look at our car parking charges in relation to elsewhere I think you will find that you get value for money.

"As the car parking charges keep rising elsewhere, we hope it will encourage people to shop in the Suffolk Coastal area. We hope it will help the small traders and that is the principal reason for keeping it the same."

Both long and short stay car parks in Felixstowe, Woodbridge, Saxmundham, Aldeburgh and Leiston will all see their prices remain the same after April 1.

Mr Herring said that it is "impractical" to raise the price of parking with the rate of relation each year and consequently parking charges are reviewed on a "periodic" basis.

Peter Phillips, of the Woodbridge Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the news and said it should boost local traders.

"It's obviously good news for businesses. In an ideal world we would like to have free car parking but in reality there has to be some charge so it preferable that it doesn't keep going up, he said.

"Anything that helps attract people into Woodbridge is good news and cheaper parking is obviously advantageous to businesses."

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www.suffolkcoastal.gov.uk