Ottery shoppers will be able to park all day for £2 while they browse stores during the winter and festive season.

The all day winter parking offer tariff is being introduced immediately.

It is normally not introduced until November, but East Devon District Council's cabinet agreed to immediately introduce it on Wednesday, October 2.

Fees at the Canaan Way car park used to be 50 pence per hour with a maximum charge of £1.50 for three hours, but the revised tariffs introduced in June saw that rise for £1 for an hour and £3 for three hours.

Councillor Geoff Pratt said the charges had led to a drop in footfall and it was affecting the businesses in the town, and that since June 3 when the new tariffs were introduced, 500 people fewer each month are using the car parks.

He said: "These figures only confirmed what we were being told by the traders that there was a loss of footfall in the town since the fee increase and this was affecting the trading figures.

Andrew Ennis, service lead, had proposed that as the impact of this year's tariff increase in Canaan Way car park is already impacting negatively on the footfall in the town's retail businesses, the usual winter price offer - all day parking for just £2 - should be introduced in Ottery with immediate effect.

He added: "It is our experience that this offer does not impact negatively on our own revenue with customers seeing £2 all day as great value. The additional revenue from more £2 tickets being purchased outweighs any loss of revenue from higher value sales."

Cllr Pratt added: "Ottery St Mary does not unfortunately attract many visitors, so I trust the cabinet will support Ottery's independent traders by agreeing to this proposal and that the £2 per day fee will apply with immediate effect."

The proposals were unanimously agreed by the cabinet, who also chose to offer free coach parking for a twelve month trial in the Seaton Jurassic car park.

Cllr Jack Rowland said: "This will go some way to attracting in more coach trips to the town."