CAR parks in Weymouth will be available to organisations and community groups for free on three selected dates in a bid to draw people into the town and support events.

Working with Dorset Council, Weymouth Town Council is offering four three dates - one at the end of spring and two in the autumn - when local organisations can use car parks for free for exciting events.

These dates include Sunday, June 19 for Armed Forces Sunday, requiring use of the Pavilion, Pavilion Forecourt and Lodmoor car parks, Sunday October 9, for the Beach Motocross event requiring use of the Pavilion car park, and Tuesday November 26 for the Elf Christmas and Christmas lights switch-on event requiring free use of all town centre car parks.

The free parking for the Elf Christmas lights switch-on also include members of the public.

Charities and community groups that are Weymouth-based can now request which Dorset Council-operated car park(s) they would like to use free of charge to help support their event.

Cllr Ray Bryan, Dorset Council Portfolio Holder for Highways, Travel and Environment, said: "We’re pleased to support these events in Weymouth by offering free parking to the town council.

"After the difficult couple of years we’ve all had, I very much hope these events in Weymouth, with the advantage of free parking, will attract many people to the town."

Cllr Ryan Hope, Chair of Services Committee, said: “It’s a great idea to give local organisations the chance to apply for free parking to support their event, so I would like to thank Dorset Council for their commitment to this initiative. The events chosen will help attract more visitors to Weymouth and complements the town council’s packed programme of events and festivals for the year ahead."

The three occasions have been made available after Weymouth Town Council successfully applied to Dorset Council to allow free parking in their car parks on these dates.

A fourth and final date will be chosen at a later date.

The selected events and dates to benefit were made at a meeting of the town council’s Services Committee on March 2, with Dorset Council being consulted and notified of the committee’s selection for final approval.