A SPIKE in demand for rented driveway parking in the lead up to Christmas, together with the planned end of lockdown in England and loosening of some restrictions elsewhere, offers an additional money-making opportunity for homeowners with an empty driveway.

Indeed, research by online parking portal YourParkingSpace.co.uk reveals that short-term bookings traditionally rise by 15 per cent in December compared to November as Christmas shoppers head to the high street.

And even with lockdown in place, and with Tier systems in Scotland and with various social distancing measures in Wales and Northern Ireland, rented driveway bookings are still holding strong and are actually at the same level as they were back in July when a nationwide lockdown was substantially eased.

Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, said: “We’ve already seen that when lockdown restrictions are eased that driving is increasingly the preferred mode of transport, rather than buses or trains, so we fully anticipate a surge bookings which is great news for those homeowners listing spaces on the platform.

“Christmas also sees a spike in bookings as more people go to the shops, so the two combined offer a double opportunity for homeowners with an empty driveway to rent it out to motorists needing somewhere to park.”

In fact, following the end of the first national lockdown in July, YourParkingSpace.co.uk driveway bookings increased by 70 per cent in the subsequent weeks as commuters drove back to the office, rather than take the bus or train.

Meanwhile, a survey by YourParkingSpace.co.uk discovered that half of those responding are less likely to use public transport in the future, while almost half said they would be more likely to drive.

For more information or to list an empty driveway for free, or to make a booking, go to yourparkingspace.co.uk