M&S roll out new FREE car parking rules for customers

The M&S Foodhall at Stone’s Westbridge Park will be switching to new FREE parking rules for people using their car park from Sunday 22nd November.

[box type=”info” align=”alignleft” class=”” width=””]We’ve been advised that this is now going live later in the week, once we have a confirmed new date we will update the article.[/box]

From Sunday 22nd November, the existing camera monitored free parking will be updated with a new set of rules.

Two new parking machines have been installed, just outside the main entrance, and we chatted to an attendant this week ahead of them coming into force from tomorrow, Sunday 22nd November.

The two main changes will now be:

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1. You can use the car park for FREE for 15 minutes
2. If you wish to stay longer than 15 minutes and up to 2 hours then you will need to spend at least £5 instore, for which you’ll be issued with a voucher that MUST be scanned into the machine before leaving the car park.

Therefore we believe that the parking company will now issue parking charge invoices in the following situations.

1. Parking for longer the 15 minutes and NOT spending £5 or more
2. Parking for LONGER than 2 hours despite spending £5 or more
3. Parking for under 2 hours, spending over £5 but FORGETTING to scan the parking voucher as you leave

This change looks to be in response to the charges that Stafford Borough Council have introduced, via Freedom Leisure, for parking at the Stone Leisure Centre next door. We saw many comments on social media when we reported on these changes from leisure centre patrons saying they would just park for free at M&S.

By the looks of it, there will be an attendant on-site for at least the short term to help re-educate customers with regards to the parking rules.