Ashfield District Council has boosted footfall in local shops but is losing tens of thousands of pounds in income by offering two hours of free car parking in the district's town centres.

Leading councillors say the policy has been "really, really good" for the area's local economies, and say the financial loss is only a negative when viewed "in isolation".

Council documents show the authority is reporting £40,000 in car parking income losses since the start of the pandemic, which councillors say is mostly the result of the two hours free policy.

The scheme was introduced by the Ashfield Independent-led authority during the pandemic in a move to encourage more people to "shop local and visit town centres on a regular basis".

However, despite the losses, the council says the policy has allowed town centre footfall across Hucknall, Sutton and Kirkby to increase close to pre-pandemic levels.

And councillors praised the offer during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday (March 29), suggesting it also helps to support Ashfield's residents.

Councillor Samantha Deakin (Ash Ind) is the authority's portfolio holder for parks, town centres and neighbourhood services.

Speaking in Tuesday's meeting, she said: "If you look at it in isolation, it says we've had a loss from our car parking after rolling out the two hours for free.

"But if you look at the footfall for town centres, it's starting to rise and rise significantly back to pre-Covid levels.

"While the figures might suggest a decrease in parking [income], actually it's really, really good for our town centres and the effect it can have on residents."

Cllr Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), leader of the council, added the authority has a balanced budget and believes it should not see car parks as a "cash cow".

He said: "Two hours of free parking is essential to regenerating our town centres.

"Shoppers and businesses absolutely need it and I think it's the right thing to do.

"We've balanced our books and we've got a very good budget, yes we've taken a hit on car parks but I don't think we should be seeing it as a cash cow.

"It's a simple thing, allowing them to go and shop, have a cup of coffee and support local businesses."

The offer is available in all council-run car parks district-wide, with the administration planning to extend the scheme until at least the next election in May 2023.