FREE car parking will make Christmas shopping in Billericay and Wickford less costly this year.
For a whole two-week period, visitors to the two towns will not have to pay for parking in council-run car parks.
Free car parks include the two behind Somerfield and one at the swimming pool in Wickford, plus the one behind Iceland and Radford Crescent in Billericay.
The gesture, hoped to give the shopping centres a chance to compete against larger outlets with free car parking, will be in operation from Monday, December 17, to Sunday, December 30.
Councillor John Dornan, cabinet member for environment at Basildon Council, said: "This is a bonus to shoppers and the local community, but also to our businesses who will be able to compete with out-of-area shopping centres during the festive period and boost the local economy."
Councillor Tony Ball, Basildon Council leader, said: "Free festive parking has been an overwhelming success in the past.
"We hope this will once again attract shoppers from outside of the area into the town to see what we have to offer."
