A RESTAURANT in Bury St Edmunds which has pledged to help its customers with parking charges has been praised by the leader of a town centre business improvement group.

Mark Cordell, chief executive of Bid4Bury, has welcomed the move by the Giraffe in Parkway, where, after 6pm, diners who spend more than £20 will have their £1.10 evening parking fee refunded.

Night time charges were introduced at the Cattlemarket/Arc and Lower Baxter Street car parks by St Edmundsbury Borough Council in April 2011.

Mr Cordell said: “I’m delighted to see a business taking this innovative step as people do have to consider the cost of parking when planning a night out.

“I am sure that many customers will welcome this initiative knowing that they can park close to the restaurant and have their charge refunded, rather than waste time driving around the town looking for alternative parking and then having further to walk back.

“I have recently called for St Edmundsbury Borough Council to consider making all its car parks free after 3pm on a Tuesday and Thursday, which would help many more businesses, but it’s great to see members looking at ways in which they can make a difference every day.”

Jon Halliday, manager at Giraffe, said: “As a Bid4Bury member we have taken a keen interest in recent discussions and initiatives about car parking in Bury St Edmunds and felt that we could also contribute in a way that will help our customers enjoy their evening out with hassle-free and nearby parking.

“All the customer needs to do is tear off the smaller portion of the parking ticket and present it when they pay their bill.”

Giraffe will begin the parking charge refunds from Monday.