WELL done to Darlington Borough Council for listening to the tidal wave of public opinion and announcing plans for two hours of free parking in the town centre.

Recent months have seen many negative stories about the future of the traditional British high street, not least last week with the news that Marks and Spencer is to close many of its older department-style stores.

The troubles of M&S saw news organisations up and down the land, including this one, send reporters out and about to quiz shoppers on the decline of town centre shopping when compared to the popularity of out-of-town retailers. The common theme in their answers was the free parking that these retail parks offer.

Two hours is not all day, but gives visitors a chance to have lunch, go for a haircut, keep an appointment at the bank, or browse the shops for a good chunk of time without feeling too rushed.

And events like the four-day Darlington Food Festival over the Bank Holiday weekend show what can be achieved in terms of increasing footfall.

Some will say this move could and should have been made in Darlington months, if not years ago, to support town centre traders struggling to stay afloat before they got to the point of no return.

But at least the council is acting now, and the two-hour free parking plan, combined with other measures such as extra street cleaning and restrictions on chuggers introduced in recent weeks, gives the town a fighting chance.