I don't pay the parking charges in Dudley – here's how you can avoid them too

More than 6,000 people have signed a petition calling for the Dudley car parking charges, which came into effect on October 1, to be scrapped. One trader says takings have fallen by about 50 per cent since the charges were introduced. But why should the hard-pressed shopkeepers be the ones who suffer?

Well allow me to let you into a little secret. I shop in Dudley every Saturday, and never, ever, pay to park. While all the big Dudley Council-run car parks now charge for parking - to the tune of £2.50 for two hours, replacing the former free allowance - free parking is still out there if you do you homework. And as a special treat to Express & Star readers, I've done your homework for you. So read on if you want to beat the system – and potentially save yourself hundreds of pounds a year. Occasionally this means you may have to walk a short distance, but rarely more than five minutes. Besides, walking is good for you, so you're saving money and improving your health at the same time.

First of all, if it's just a whistle-stop visit, the car park at the junction of Wolverhampton Street and Priory Street, offers 20 minutes' free parking right in the centre of town. There is also 30 minutes' free parking in Tower Street.

There is one hour's free on-street parking available in most of the town centre, including High Street, Castle Street, The Inhedge, St James's Road, Stafford Street, Cross Street, and Priory Street.

For longer stays there are 28 spaces offering two hours in Stone Street – which is probably the most convenient place to stop once you have negotiated the deliberately tortuous one-way system. There is also two hours' free parking towards the top of King Street, close to the motorcycle showroom, and there are half a dozen spaces in Union Street, although these tend to get nabbed quite quickly.

A five-minute walk from the market, the parking spaces in Priory Road between Broadway island and the council house also offer two hours' free parking, although for some reason the council has placed a total parking ban between 3.30pm and 4pm.

For longer stays, there are no time limits on the parking spaces behind Asda in Greystone Street and Pitfield Street – ironically you can park for as long as you like in the road directly outside the council pay-and-display car park. If you don't mind walking a little further, there is plenty of on-street parking in Greystone Street and Dock Lane.

Of course, if you're in town for food shopping, it is worth remembering that Asda at the top of High Street offers free customer parking.

In Stourbridge, the car park at Tesco offers two hours' free parking during the daytime, increasing to four hours in the evening.

For short stays, there is an hour’s free parking in High Street, Market Street and Lower High Street, although you will do well to find a space at busy times. For all-day parking, there are a small number of spaces in Green Street, although you will need to cross the ring road to get into town.

There is a two-hour limit in Lion Street, as well as in Vauxhall Road next to the railway station, and in Hagley Road.

Halesowen is a much tougher nut to crack, although there is 40 minutes' free parking in the spaces in High Street, outside the church. There is also 45 minutes' free parking for a handful of cars in Hagley Road.

For longer stays, your best bet would probably be either Andrew Road, or Laurel Lane, behind where the old court buildings used to be.

The charges have also caused no little consternation in Kingswinford, with its high density of small businesses. The council's liberal use of yellow lines makes on-street parking more difficult, but there is two hours' free parking in Summer Hill, and for longer stays, the stretch of Market Street opposite the Swan Inn is probably your best bet.

Of course, this is only a guide, and it is the responsibility of the motorist to ensure that they comply with traffic regulations. We also ask that you show consideration for other road users, pedestrians and residents by always parking responsibly, and taking care not to obstruct the traffic or block anyone's driveway.