Superstore pledges to pay town parking fee
PARKING charges will be reintroduced in a village centre from this month, when a supermarket opens – but customers can still park for free.
The Iceland that will replace Waitrose in Blaby will open on Tuesday, January 21 – a week earlier than expected.
Blaby District Council scrapped its parking fees in the centre of the village after the closure of the Waitrose.
When Iceland opens, shoppers will again have to pay the 30p parking charge. But anyone spending £5 or more in Iceland will have their parking covered by the store.
The 30p charge for up to a two-hour stay in the car parks in Enderby Road and John’s Court will be refunded at the checkouts.
A high street co-ordinator has been appointed by the district council to find new ways to support businesses and help the village’s economy, as well as that of the other villages in the district.
Terry Richardson, the leader of Blaby District Council, said: “We have worked with Iceland since it announced its intention to open to ensure we have a strong relationship, and we’re delighted it has decided to set up a parking ticket refund scheme.
“The council acted quickly to offset the impact of Waitrose’s closure to ensure free parking was available to support businesses.
“With Iceland’s opening, the appointment of a high street co-ordinator and moves to refresh the public areas, we are confident Blaby will continue to attract visitors and become a thriving local town centre.”
The Iceland is one of 45 the company is opening across the country.
Keith Hann, director of corporate affairs at Iceland, said: “We are delighted to confirm our store refit is going so well we can bring our store opening a week forward.
“We have also been working closely with Blaby District Council, which has supported the town centre businesses over the past few months through its temporary free parking for two hours.
“We understand this was a temporary measure and will end once our store opens.
“So we are delighted to announce we will be offering a refund for the two-hour tariff for all customers who spend over £5 in store, on presentation of the perforated voucher on each ticket. “