Shoppers will be able to park for free in Swindon town centre every Sunday.

All Swindon Borough Council car parks will be free, in the town centre from April 7, but the idea isn't to benefit visitors to the town but to give businesses a much-needed boost.

Coun Oliver Donachie, the council’s cabinet member for economic development, said: “To be able to park for free for a full day, especially at the weekend, will create new opportunities for everyone.

“We know that the rise of online shopping has posed a number of challenges for local businesses and we want to do as much as we possibly can to help them thrive. The free parking provision on Sundays will help to create an extra 52 days of trading for businesses, and I would encourage residents to take full advantage of it.”

Coun Donachie said the loss of parking income would hit the council's income but said: "It's a small loss - and we think it's worth it for the boost that it will make to town centre businesses."

Councillor Dale Heenan, the cabinet member for the town centre, said: “Free parking on Sundays is the new town centre parking policy. I hope local residents and businesses use this opportunity to support our town centre, as we all wrestle with the challenge of online shopping and the changing high street."

Di Powell, the chief executive on InSwindon Bid, which exists to improve the town centre and business opportunities said: "We have been working with the borough council to find ways of helping town centre traders.

"The idea of free parking on Sunday was raised, and we know that footfall into the town centre on Sunday isn't at its highest, and we welcome this as a way of helping drive more footfall.

"Anything that will help the high street and town centres in the face of online shopping at levels higher than ever before is welcome."

The free parking initiative will not apply to car parks in Old Town.

Coun Donachie said: "We offered to make all our car parks, apart from the ones in country parks, free on Sundays, but Old Town businesses said they thought there were other better initiatives.

"Our offer is the free parking, but we will look at what ideas they bring up."

Nobody from Old Town Business Association was available to comment