Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayors approved budget includes free parking trial for Huntingdonshire

Residents and businesses in St Neots could benefit from a new free parking trial after the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough secured approval for his 2026/27 budget.

Paul Bristow’s budget was approved by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Board on Wednesday 28 January and includes £1.5 million over two years to support free parking schemes in Peterborough city centre and across Huntingdonshire, working alongside local councils.

The proposal would see a targeted two-year trial aimed at boosting footfall, supporting high streets and helping town centres such as St Neots compete with out-of-town and online retail. The detail of how the schemes would operate has yet to be finalised and will be subject to further agreement and approval of detailed business cases.

The Mayor also confirmed that the Mayoral Precept will remain frozen at £36 a year for a Band D household, as previously pledged.

Alongside the parking plans, the budget includes continued funding for the Mayor’s Day Out scheme, which supports schoolchildren across the region to visit museums, heritage sites and cultural attractions. More than 6,000 pupils are expected to take part in trips during February and March, with funding now secured to run the scheme through to March 2030.

The Combined Authority has also approved its wider budget and medium-term financial plan, setting out investment in transport, infrastructure, skills, housing and business growth, as part of its long-term ambition to grow the regional economy.

Speaking after the budget was approved, Paul Bristow said the plans were about turning pledges into action, testing how free parking could help town centres, and continuing to invest in opportunities for young people across the region.

"We need to test how free parking can give our town and city centres a much-needed shot in the arm, driving footfall, supporting jobs and giving people a reason to come back. My budget alongside that of the Combined Authority’s gives us a solid, responsible platform to drive the investment this region needs to make our economy the country’s fastest growing outside the capital. That’s real action.” 

Black Cat Radio has approached the Mayor’s office to ask if or how any of the trial budget will benefit St. Neots.