Didn't know you were in Newmarket Tim!
I totally agree, that low or zero parking fees make it the destination of choice for us.
Long term there are streets available as well.. for free.
I never pay for parking there.
Sadly they have at least one dick brain on the council, who keeps adding traffic lights and snarling up the traffic.
It is not possible to go into Cambridge at all without paying. Every single possible public parking space has some kind of restriction on it. They even patrol at 9pm and issue parking tickets.
Only the park and rides are free, BUT the bus fare in is not.
The net effect on any visitor is 'You are here on sufferance, we will only let you into to our marvellous city at all if you pay' to which my final response has been an overall 'well f*ck YOU then' since as Andrew pointed out in the Dunstable case, the policy eventually forces closures of any town centre shops of interest anyway.