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Parking In Ashbourne - Frequently Asked Questions
Where and when does the District Council's temporary free afternoon parking apply?
Parking will be free after 2pm in Derbyshire Dales District Council’s Ashbourne car parks from Monday 28 July 2025 for the six-week school summer holidays – and the initiative will be extended as soon as possible to free parking from 12 noon during the summer break. Parking will initially be free after 2pm in Ashbourne’s Bus Station, Cattle Market, Clifton Road, and Swimming Pool car parks as well as Shawcroft from 28 July, while the town’s pay and display machines and the PaybyPhone software are recalibrated to recognise free parking from noon. That process, which has to be carried out by contractors, could take up to two weeks. The concessions will apply until Sunday 7 September 2025.
Is there any other free parking in Ashbourne?
From 1 April 2025 the District Council introduced a new 30 minutes *FREE* initiative in town centre car parks, including Ashbourne's Shawcroft, Bus Station and Clifton Road car parks. Cokayne avenue is the largest free council run car park in the District with 119 spaces, and the Cattle Market (0.2 miles from the Market Place, with 50 spaces) has been reduced to a flat rate of £2 per day.
Why have you introduced free parking in the afternoon for the school summer holidays?
While District Council car park statistics show no reduction in usage year on year, we do acknowledge that some town centre businesses need help right now as it’s clear that visitors are not spending as much time in the town as they have in the past. To encourage even more visitors during the school summer holidays, we have listened to requests from local businesses to offer free afternoon parking.
In making the decision to approve afternoon free parking, District Councillors recognised that high streets have been operating within a difficult economic climate for some time. Works in Ashbourne have coincided with recent national changes to the minimum wage, national insurance, and a reduction in business rate relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. Councillors also recognised the current exceptional circumstances in Ashbourne, such as the scale of the works affecting a major proportion of the town centre; the significant period of disruption over the peak visitor season; and temporary closure of a key through route.
Why can't parking be free all day?
Free parking all day in all car parks would be significantly more costly and would run the risk of workers and residents taking up prime parking spaces, leading to car park capacity issues. This could also create additional congestion from visitors circulating to find alternative car parks, adding to disruption, increased journey times and related frustration for residents, businesses and visitors.
However, from 1 April 2025 the District Council introduced a new 30 minutes FREE initiative in town centre car parks, including Ashbourne's Shawcroft, Bus Station and Clifton Road car parks. Cokayne Avenue is the largest free council run car park in the District with 119 spaces, and the Cattle Market (0.2 miles from the Market Place, with 50 spaces) has been reduced to a flat rate of £2 per day.
How will Ashbourne Reborn affect parking in the town?
We are clear that there are enough parking spaces in Ashbourne. The transformation of public spaces and highways through the Ashbourne Reborn programme is intended to improve the experience for drivers and pedestrians. Improved signage will point the way so drivers are directed to alternatives to the Market Place, while signage around town will direct pedestrians so they can find their way from car parks to landmarks within the town centre.
How does the District Council parking review affect parking in Ashbourne?
In 2024, the District Council carried out a car parking review and public consultation. Following a full council debate on 30 January 2025, a progressive new measure allowing vehicles to park for up to 30 minutes free in town centre car parks will come into operation from 1 April. The 30 minutes free quick-stay - which cannot be added to a longer period in the same car park - will apply in Ashbourne to Shawcroft, the Bus Station and Clifton Road. In another measure ratified by the District Council, some car parks will have a new flat rate all day tariff of £2, including Ashbourne's Cattle Market.
Two other innovations in Ashbourne - lifting the four-hour restriction on the 191-space Shawcroft car park and making the Swimming Pool car park a £2 flat rate car park - will be delayed until April 2026, on completion of the Ashbourne Reborn programme. Current prices will be frozen at Ashbourne's Fishpond Meadow and Swimming Pool. For Derbyshire Dales residents, this comes on top of free parking with their resident permit in all of the District Council's car parks before 11am and after 3pm every day of the year.
Read all the details on the District Council website.
When does the Market Place car park close?
From February 6 2025, the Market Place in Ashbourne will no longer be a car park. Alternative car parks are available at the Cattle Market, Cokayne Avenue, Shawcroft, the Bus Station, Swimming Pool, and Clifton Road. Although part of Fishpond Meadow is being used as a temporary compound for contractors delivering the Highways and Public Realm project, at the end of the scheme the site is due to be returned to Derbyshire Dales District Council for future use as overspill car parking.
Will we still be able to stop at the Market Place to collect takeaways?
The Ashbourne Reborn proposals, developed with local Ashbourne partners, will reduce the number of spaces to 7 (including 1 disabled bay) around the southern and western edges of the Market Place. 30 minutes free parking will be available in these bays. The 30 minutes free quick-stay - which cannot be added to a longer period in the same car park - will also apply to car parks at Shawcroft, the Bus Station and Clifton Road.
Will there still be disabled parking spaces to access the Market Place?
The Market Place previously provided 48 spaces including 2 disabled bays. The Ashbourne Reborn proposals, developed with local Ashbourne partners, will reduce the number of spaces in this location to 7 including 1 disabled bay around the southern and western edges of the Market Place. The Highways and Public Realm Project Board discussed parking provision on the Market Place at two separate meetings, taking account of the range of views received from the public and businesses, and alongside the creation of additional on-street disabled bays at other town centre locations, finalised proposals on this basis.
What changes to parking are planned in the designs for Ashbourne Reborn and where?
Designs for Ashbourne Reborn are still being finalised, and we will share more information as it becomes available. The current plans would result in an overall reduction of 27 spaces, with the remaining spaces including an addition of between 1-9 disabled parking bays. Although parking will not be available in the Market Place, there are spaces in other car parks around the town centre, some of which are underused at the moment. Planned changes to parking at this stage are:
- Market Place The car park in the Market Place will be removed, although one disabled bay will be added where there are currently no formal bays. A small number of short stay bays will be retained on Buxton Road near the Town Hall, with a new parking bay created north of the signal crossing.
- St John Street There will be additional parking bays on St John Street East, including new disabled bays.
- Compton Two new disabled bays will be added, and three new generic parking spaces.
- Shawcroft The existing parking bays will be adjusted, meaning that two disabled bays will be removed.
- Station Road Parking will be adjusted to create a new shared footway, install signals at the junction to improve the flow of traffic around the town, and assist the development of the Link Community Hub at Ashbourne Methodist Church. This will mean a reduction in the limited waiting bays on the east side of the road.
Where are the alternative car parks in Ashbourne?
The following car parks are managed by the District Council in Ashbourne (DDDC Car Parks Ashbourne map):
Bus Station: 39 spaces inc. 4 disabled. Open 24hrs.
Cattle Market: 50 spaces inc. 3 disabled. Open 24hrs.
Clifton Road: 36 spaces (0 disabled), 6 coach spaces. Open 24hrs.
Cokayne Avenue: 119 spaces inc. 5 disabled. Open 24hrs.
Shawcroft: 191 spaces inc. 13 disabled. Open 24hrs (4rs max stay). The four-hour restriction will be removed from April 2026, on completion of the Ashbourne Reborn programme.
Leisure Centre/Swimming Pool: 87 spaces inc. 6 disabled. Open 24hrs.
Fishpond Meadow: 125 spaces inc. 5 disabled and 10 spaces reserved for Dove Valley Angling Association. This car park has not been opened in recent years as there is capacity in the other car parks, some of which are under-used.
Market Place: 48 spaces inc. 2 disabled. Open 24hrs (2hrs max stay) - CLOSED
Total spaces: 570 (of which 33 disabled) excluding 115 overspill at Fishpond Meadow.
All car parks are Pay and Display except for Cockayne Avenue which is free. Long stay parking is available in all car parks except the Market Place (limited to 2 hours) and Shawcroft (limited to 4 hours). As part of a car parks review, which is subject to a public consultation in 2024, the District Council are considering lifting the four-hour stay limit.
Visit the District Council website to find out more about parking in Derbyshire Dales.
On street parking is managed separately and is the responsibility of the County Council.
I am a resident and park my car overnight in the Market Place, where can I park in future?
The following car parks are close by:
- Cattle Market Car Park, Ashbourne DE6 1ED
- Shawcroft Car Park, Ashbourne, DE6 1GD
- Bus Station Car Park, Ashbourne, DE6 1BW
Charges may apply, please check times on the District Council’s website.
