Shoppers at M The Galleries Washington will now see parking operatives patrolling the centre’s 15 car parks as part of a fresh enforcement drive targeting misuse of disabled, family, and electric vehicle bays.
The updated measures are a direct response to customer feedback about genuine blue badge holders and families struggling to find spaces. Staff will monitor the 84 disabled bays—mostly clustered outside ASDA and Sainsbury’s, with extras in car parks 2, 6 and 7—as well as family parking in car parks 4, 5 and 10, plus drop-off zones, taxi ranks, double yellow lines and hatched areas at various times throughout the day and evening.
Free parking for up to four hours remains in place across the site’s 2,200-plus spaces, with longer stays costing £1 for four to six hours, £2 for six to eight hours and a maximum of £3 for eight to 12 hours. Drivers wishing to extend must pay through the JustPark app or by phone using location code 80300.
UK Parking Control Ltd, which manages the car parks, will issue charges of up to £100 for anyone breaching the terms, though the sum drops to £60 if settled within a fortnight under the Private Parking Code of Practice. Centre bosses were keen to stress that the neighbouring Retail Park is a completely separate operation and falls outside the new enforcement policy.
Full details of the parking rules are published on the centre’s website.
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