FREE two-hour car parking will remain in Ayr town centre over the festive season to give businesses and shoppers a boost.

Currently motorists benefit from one free parking session per day, up to two hours, on any street within a designated town centre area that has a street parking ticket machine.

Extended stays of more than the two hours or subsequent visits are chargeable, and the free session does not apply to car parks.

Councillor Bob Pollock, depute leader of South Ayrshire Council, said: "We’re keen to encourage local trade wherever possible and these sessions add a helping hand.

"We’ve had a really good response to our survey, and we are very grateful to everyone who takes the time to complete the survey. It helps us enormously to future plan.”

The initiative was introduced in January 2024 to encourage more people to visit the town centre and stimulate economic benefits.

South Ayrshire Council and Ayrshire Roads Alliance are also encouraging the public and local businesses to take part in a brief car parking survey ahead of the December 6 deadline.

The survey can be accessed from https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/consultations. Anyone with issues accessing the website can also contact streets-uk on 0800 987 5990.