A Hove supermarket is to offer extended parking after holding talks with local traders.
Tesco has offered the compromise a year after it ended free parking for two hours at its store in Church Road, Hove.
Traders in George Street said that footfall and takings had been hit by the supermarket’s parking rule change.
And the Save George Street campaign lobbied Brighton and Hove City Council to get involved in the dispute.
The two ward councillors – Conservative Andrew Wealls and Labour’s Clare Moonan – brokered talks with the retail chain.
The campaigners said: “The Save George Street campaign is pleased to announce that Tesco has agreed to extend the time people can park in their car park by adding another hour.
“The two hours for £5 minimum spend has now been extended to three hours for £5 for a three-month (12-week) trial period starting from the (Friday) 16 February.”
The original change came into force on Thursday 16 February last year.
The Save George Street campaigners said: “The change means that the people of Hove can shop in Tesco and now have that extra time to explore the shops and cafés in George Street.
“The £5 spend in Tesco, which shoppers can use for essentials, equates roughly to £1.66 per hour for the three-hour parking period.
“Both George Street and Tesco share some of the major problems that the community as a whole face and in partnership hope to try and resolve these problems making the area a better shopping experience for the community and for visitors to the street.
“Save George Street, working with Central Hove ward councillors Clare Moonan and Andrew Wealls had a very successful meeting with Tesco’s manager Michael Germain and hope that it is the beginning of a successful working relationship in the future.”
Mr Germain said: “The introduction of verification in our car park over the last year has had a very positive impact on customers of the store, who find it much easier to park.
“Having discussed the potential positive impact on the local community of an increase in the stay time of the car park, with local traders and councillors, I am very pleased that we are now able to trial such an increase for the next 12 weeks.
“The stay time has been increased from two to three hours.
“Park free for 30 minutes – and then scan the voucher given to you at the checkout when you spend £5 or more to park for up to three hours in total.
“We look forward to reviewing the results of this trial in due course.”
Councillors Wealls and Moonan said: “We are really pleased Tesco can support George Street businesses by offering this trial period of an extra hour’s parking.
“They have been very constructive in their discussions with us and the Save George Street campaign on behalf of the George Street businesses and they are very keen to help sustain a vibrant shopping community around their store.
“We encourage Tesco customers to make great use of the extra time by visiting nearby shopping streets.”
If Tesco is to survive it has to accommodate its own customers first. Not hard to understand. And actual Tesco customers DID have a problem which the store had no choice about addressing. A lot of the problem was to do with St. Andrews school parents using the Tesco carpark morning, all day, pickup times which placed a significant burden on capacity.
Three hours for a Fiver seems pretty fair to me.
It is not the same as paying £5 for 3 hours in as much as you have £5 worth of products.
Many people parked at Tesco’s all day before the introduction of the £5 parking fee. It frequently resulted in parking chaos for people who genuinely wanted to shop at the store and pop into George Street. I stopped shopping in the area completely.
I think the payment is very fair and 3 hours hopefully will help local traders.
Mmm interesting comments. Once again abuse of a facility by the unthinking. Am I the only one that recalls the reason Tesco received planning permission that ‘free’ parking would be provided due to the inevitable impact on George St.
Does that mean we don’t now have to have cars down George Street from 4pm all year??!!
The Tesco car park is built on the site of the old St Andrew’s school. Tesco paid for the new school as part of the planning permission and promised parents could park for free during the daily drop-off and pick-up – although most kids and parents walk.
During the planning process Tesco and Kier (its contractor) made all the right noises about free parking to support local businesses as well as parents at the school.
Even before the changes last year there were cameras recording cars as they came and went, timing them in and out. Overstayers could expect a letter and – if they overstayed again – the threat of a bill.
Whether or not it’s a permanent solution, this latest move is at least better than the existing situation. And Tesco has shown a willingness to listen and compromise. Plus Tesco is more likely to thrive if George Street and Blatchington Road and Church Road are thriving.
Finally, how encouraging to see two councillors from different parties apparently working constructively together for the good of their constituents. Well done to both and of course well done to the traders who presumably would much rather be spending their time running their businesses than trying to persuade a national chain to play a proper part in our local community.
Yes I thought the car park was given on the understanding it was free, because George Street had a car park that it lost when Tesco came. However George Street is now dying because its full of nail bars, hairdressers and various spa type ‘shops’ and is no longer an actual shopping street…it started when New Look left and was stone dead when Dorothy Perkins left.
How does Tesco have access to DVLA records
You can request driver info from the DVLA if you have ‘reasonable cause’.