Parking rule change by Biggleswade supermarket challenged by local authorities
Customer feedback indicating a shortage of parking spaces at a Biggleswade supermarket persuaded retail giant Asda to alter the regulations, a meeting heard.
But the latest change by the firm has been criticised by the town council and labelled “completely unacceptable” by a former mayor.
Asda adjusted its car park rules again last month, with a policy to introduce a reduced maximum period of 90 minutes (from two hours) and to restrict parking only to its customers, said a town council meeting report.
Biggleswade Town Council (BTC) community development manager Ian Campbell confirmed: “Asda has recently revised its car park signage, which isn’t favourable to the public.
“There’s a long-standing arrangement, which dates back to when Safeway was dealing with Mid-Bedfordshire District Council. The agreement was that anyone could park there free for two hours without being a supermarket customer.
“The firm seems to be reneging on that. BTC and Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) took legal advice, In both cases, the solicitors said ‘the company can’t do this’. CBC has written to Asda’s chairman to inform him about that.”
Town councillor Madeline Russell explained: “The Section 106 agreement wasn’t direct with Safeway, but it laid down there should be a maximum of two hours free parking in the Asda car park and should definitely serve the town.
“Asda reduced the time limit for parking there before, rather than taking it away from residents. The other idea with the Section 106 was there should be 76 spaces for the town, and the rest for use as the store car park.
“In a letter to BTC, Asda said: ‘Feedback from customers indicated they were struggling to find a parking space when shopping there. A regular turnover of spaces for any supermarket is crucial.
“If shoppers can’t park there, it would be detrimental for the store and the wider town centre, it suggested. Since the change to 90 minutes, the store has seen a marked improvement in the availability of spaces.
“Asda is proud to serve the residents of Biggleswade and to be an anchor retailer for the town centre, it added. A second letter from Asda warned that any overstay will result in a penalty notice.
“The decision to offer paid parking is part of a wider programme across a number of our stores, and it’s within Asda’s control to vary the number of spaces available, it noted.
“This could see the number reduce at peak times of the year, it concluded. Asda’s estate team has acknowledged the town council’s concerns and will monitor the situation with the store, keeping the new time limit under review’.
“We should write to the current chief executive Allan Leighton, and copy in the local store manager,” said councillor Russell. “We can reiterate the legal advice stating that the company can’t stop people parking there, as it’s a town facility and not just a supermarket one.”
Town councillor Mark Foster described it as “completely unacceptable”, saying: “The signage has been changed, which is averse to the legal position.
“We should leave the enforcement and any courts element to CBC, as it’s the planning authority responsible for that, but we should keep the pressure on Asda.”
Councillors unanimously agreed that a letter should be sent to the Asda chief executive, with Conservative MP for North Bedfordshire Richard Fuller to receive a copy.