Asda admits parking signs 'may have caused confusion' as Biggleswade Town Council pledges to 'hold their feet to the fire'
Retail giant Asda has admitted in a letter that changes to signs about parking arrangements at its Biggleswade store “may have caused some confusion”.
The supermarket chain backtracked on new restrictions at its car park in Church Street, after legal threats from Central Bedfordshire Council.
New signs at the store in March informed visitors and shoppers its car park could only be used by Asda customers, having reduced the free parking time from two hours to 90 minutes last year.
A report to the town council included a letter from Asda management, saying: “I’ve now heard from our car park and property team advising that we haven’t made any recent changes to how our Biggleswade car park operates, and it remains one of the few free short-stay options in the town centre.
“We’re aware now that signage installed earlier this year may have caused some confusion. We’re reviewing that to ensure it displays the correct information and accurately reflects the agreed arrangements with the council.
“Thank you for contacting us and please let me know if there’s anything else with which I can help you.”
BTC’s interim town clerk Karim Hosseini told a council meeting: “There was a response (from Asda) at an operational level, so middle management.
“This confirms its position, putting it delicately, in the wrong in trying to seek any changes to the two aspects it wanted to change for the car parking controls,” he explained.
“The full legal responses via that channel have gone through CBC and its lawyers, back and forth, and they resolved that position before it got to this stage.
“So the company is repeating itself with us now, which is perhaps somewhat frustrating. I’ve been doing plenty of work in the background, as have councillors.
“This is a positive position. We’ve written back to CBC asking to see the legal documentation and correspondence because we’re still unsighted on that.”
Town councillor Duncan Strachan warned: “It’s essential we know the right issues are in place. This letter doesn’t mean anything. We need to ensure what we think it’s saying does actually occur, and hold their feet to the fire.”
Mayor Jonathan Woodhead said: “That’s the missing piece of the jigsaw because we haven’t been copied into the legal correspondence between Asda and CBC, which would be helpful.
“I’m aware as yet the signs haven’t been changed. I checked on the way here, this evening. They’ve still got the incorrect information on them.
“These will be changed fairly soon hopefully, so that’s something to keep an eye on and monitor. This local authority has done plenty of work in the background.
“It’s been a town council effort, with a number of people involved, as well as ward councillors. This subject is an important one and many residents have been bringing it up.”
Town councillor Gary Barrett agreed, adding: “Some outside of this council claimed to have fixed it on social media, which has been quite entertaining to watch. The town council has been leading on this and on resolving the issue.”