Blenheim’s first Park Free Friday last week was marked with posters on every CBD parking meter.

Blenheim CBD shoppers rejoice! Park Free Friday will be hanging around for another month.

The Marlborough District Council has announced it will be extending the originally one-off parking reprieve until the end of November.

The initiative is part of a campaign to entice people back into the CBD during the closing stages of the Market St revamp.

Parking wardens have also been told to go easy on people parked in the town centre, issuing courtesy notices instead of fines. The leniency is for on-street parking only.

Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor said on Wednesday the first Park Free Friday last week received such a positive response from Blenheim businesses and shoppers that the council decided to extend the “gesture”.

“Park Free Friday is council’s way of thanking businesses and the community for their patience and support during the Market St Revamp and to encourage people to support businesses in the centre of town,” she said.

“We are so close now to the completion of the revamp and I hope this will give people even more reason to shop local and spend time in central Blenheim.”

Market St businesses had done it tough during construction, with some claiming foot traffic had fallen by 85%. A barbershop stopped trading shortly after construction began.

The initiative was first introduced to councillors last month under the name “Free Parking Friday”. A press release last week called it Free Parking Friday.

However, the initiative had since been rebranded Park Free Friday.

Shoppers on Market St welcomed the first Park Free Friday last week, which marked the completion of Stage Two of the revamp between High St and Alfred St, where the closed-down barber shop was located.

Blenheim resident Conny van der Geest told Local Democracy Reporting last week that not having to worry about getting ticketed meant she could stay in town for longer.

She hoped the free parking would bring people back into town to support local businesses, she said.

“I think it’d be great if there was just a bit more people coming in, there's a lot of empty shops and that's so sad.”

Reefton-based visitor Ross Alexander said last week the free parking meant he could have “a big ol’ wander, buying a bunch of [stuff]”.

Free parking every Friday would be a boost for local businesses, Ross said.

He had received a parking ticket in the CBD on Thursday after he failed to activate his first hour free in the meter. He said he got the ticket after 20 minutes.

Parking wardens would still be out ticketing vehicles with expired registration or WOFs, unsafe parking, and unauthorised use of a restricted parking space such as a loading zone or disability park.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.