Scarborough Council revealed the decision as it aims to support the towns' retailers to bounce back from the hardships faced during lockdown and Christmas 2020 by suspending parking charges in some of its own off-street car parks all day from Wednesday December 1 to Friday December 31.
The council is hoping that for those who cannot walk or take public transport to the town centres, the free parking will encourage them to spend their Christmas pounds locally instead of travelling further afield or paying for online deliveries.
Cllr Tony Randerson, Scarborough Borough Council cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said: "After the challenges and uncertainty of the last twenty months, our local businesses need our support more than ever this Christmas.
"If free parking is an incentive that makes the difference between someone spending their money in our borough’s fantastic independent shops as opposed to online or in York, Leeds or Middlesbrough, then it’s worth doing and is something we are more than happy to offer."
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In Scarborough, the free parking offer applies to the following off-street car parks: Castle Road, Falconers Road, Friarsway, North Street, North Terrace, St Nicholas Parade, St Thomas Street, Victoria Road, Westwood and William Street.
The free parking offering will coincide with the opening of a new town-centre ice skating rink at the North Street car park.
In Whitby, free parking will be available at Church Street, Cliff Street, Marina Back, Marina Front and St Hilda’s Terrace car parks.
Charges will apply in all other car parks and to on-street parking.
Council owned car parks in Filey and the borough’s coastal villages are already free at this time of year.