Cornwall Council will suspend parking charges in all of its car parks again during lockdown.

The free parking will return from tomorrow (Saturday, January 16) until the end of the current national lockdown, as part of efforts to further limit the spread of coronavirus and to support residents.

The move will mean that some civil enforcement officers and back room staff can be redeployed to support the council’s Covid-19 response.

The council also hopes it will help residents who rely on on-street parking at home, or live in resident only parking zone areas.

As many people return to home working arrangements in response to the latest national lockdown, there has been an increase in the number of vehicles parked on residential roads and residents unable to find a parking space near their homes. They will now have the option to park for free in a council car park.

Councillor Geoff Brown, Cornwall Council cabinet portfolio holder for transport, said: “We are all being asked to stay at home where possible and we want to lead by example, by doing all we can to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

“The daily operation of our 133 charging car parks requires staff to carry out regular patrols and security officers to collect money from the machines.

"Given the current lockdown, and the council’s key role in responding to the pandemic locally, we have a duty to keep our staff safe, as well as ensure all efforts are focussed on dealing with the response - and subsequent recovery - from Covid-19."