In a stark U-turn, visitors to Kingsbridge car parks will now experience free parking between 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. daily.

Following the recent extension of the road closure at the bottom of Fore Street, Devon County Council (DCC) and South Hams District Council (SHDC) have announced free parking for Quay Long Stay and Fore Street car parks until further notice.

In February, residents were told there would be “no further concessions to parking”, despite the ongoing culvert investigation and road closure already being extended by an initial 18 weeks.

Signage has appeared around the town to inform car park users of the concession, stating that “no ticket will be required” during the allotted timeframe.

The investigation work, which started on January 19, was originally due to be completed by February 6.

However, this date was extended until April 20 after a large hole was found beneath the road, complicating works and requiring multi-agency intervention.

The road is now expected to last a further 20 weeks, but no exact date has been given.