Free coach parking to support tourism in Britain’s best-preserved medieval village

The council already provides free coach parking in nearby Sudbury but is now looking to ensure Lavenham – widely considered to be Britain’s best preserved medieval village – also maintains its place on the tourist itinerary.

Following conversations with local business and Lavenham Parish Council, the current £10 charge for using the three bays in Lavenham’s Cock Inn car park is to be scrapped and visiting coaches allowed to park free all day.

Cllr Deborah Saw, Babergh District Council leader and cabinet member for people and place, said: “The financial challenges facing our council remain as acute as ever, but this small change will have a relatively minor impact on the budget – whilst hopefully encouraging coach tours to continue to stop in Lavenham, and allowing visitors to enjoy the village and support its fantastic independent businesses.

“We’re grateful to the parish council and local businesses for their feedback.  We have listened, and are pleased to be in a position to conduct this 12-month trial so we can monitor numbers year-on-year and assess exactly how best to support local businesses and maintain Lavenham’s thriving tourist economy.”

The change is set to be implemented on 10 November. While there is no charge, coach drivers will still need to get a ticket from the machine.