NEWLYN's harbour commission has pledged to do its part to help local businesses – by dropping prices in its Strand car park.
The cost of parking for two hours will drop to £1 when new charges come into force in April.
Though parking is predominantly for use by fishermen, the car park is also popular with shoppers. The other car park in the port's centre, on Duke Street, which is owned by Cornwall Council, currently costs 90p for 30 minutes, £1.20 for an hour, or £1.70 to park for up to two hours.
Kevin Bennetts, who chairs the harbour management and operations committee, said the commission wanted to do something to help attract more people to local shops.
"We feel that there is a lot of pain in Newlyn with poor trade and what we have done is put the two hours car parking charge down by 5p," he said.
"It is not a lot, but it is a gesture." Longer stays at the car park will see an increase: parking for up to four hours will cost £2; to stay for 12 hours is £4; and 24 hours at the car park will cost £6.
The commission says it will freeze the cost of an annual ticket to the car park for 12 months, and it has no plans to increase harbour charges from April.
"We are acutely aware that the fishing industry is about to undergo a lot of pain because of fuel prices," added Mr Bennetts.
The decision to round down the short stay price was hailed as good news by Steve Soulsby, owner of Waghorns hardware store, on The Strand. "Anything is better, though I think people have got out of the habit of shopping in little places when they are used to parking for free at the supermarket," he said. Godfrey Adams, whose Trelawney Fish store is opposite the car park, said the move was "sensible".
article copyright THE CORNISHMAN