CHANGES to town centre parking could make it easier for visitors enjoying a night out.

Eden Council has made it easier to book long stay parking in its Sandgate, Blue Bell Lane and Drovers’ Lane car parks, which cost £5 a day.

Motorists can stay for up to seven days at Sandgate and Blue Bell Lane and, if they book online, for unlimited periods at Drover’s Lane.

The council has also reprogrammed its ticket machines to make it easier for people to leave their cars in town overnight. Parking is free between 6pm and 8am, and now a ticket bought late on one day can roll over to the next.

So, if you pay for two hours parking at 5.30pm, the ticket will now last until 9.30am the next day, for example.

Emily Murphy, engineering officer at Eden Council, said: “These might be small changes, but they could make a big difference to Eden residents.

“We hope that by making it easier for people to come into Penrith and leave their car in town to collect the next day, it should support the nighttime economy.”