Traders win longer parking

AFTER pressure from town centre traders, ASDA Bangor has now agreed to extend its car parking limit from two to three hours.

“The Bangor Chamber of Commerce Board were concerned that the initial two hour stay didn’t give visitors enough time to stay for lunch or do a much broader shop, so adjacent businesses suffered," says Evan Ward, president of Bangor Chamber of Commerce.

Welcoming ASDA´s decision to extend the maximum car parking from two to three hours, he continued, "We are very grateful for the support of ASDA both locally and at their headquarters. Their speedy and positive reaction is a reflection of their commitment to local traders and we warmly welcome this change.”

Bangor Town Centre Manager, Stephen Dunlop, explains, “We initially wrote to the chief executive of ASDA and followed this up with meeting the local manager. In both instances the company was open to any positive suggestions and has been incredibly supportive.

"It was clear that the car park management regime they had put in place was there to stop the ongoing abuse of all day parkers when the barriers were broken. This new structure will hopefully benefit the neighbouring businesses who depend on their customers getting good use from this major town centre asset.”