Parking charge to have an impact

Residents will now have to pay for extended stays at the popular Co-op supermarket site in Standish as bosses aim to prioritise their customers.

Parking is a topical issue in the village with plans to create a car park on the site of a recreation area proving to be controversial.

And the Co-op’s decision to introduce new tariffs - with a 45 minute limit on free parking - could have a knock-on effect.

A spokesperson for the supermarket chain told Wigan Today: “We have introduced car parking controls to ensure that space remains available for our shoppers.

“Drivers have been parking their cars for long periods of time, making it difficult for our customers to park at times.

“We do, however, believe that such controls should be fair and of benefit to the wider community, and drivers can still park for up to 45 minutes free of charge.”

A consultation run by neighbourhood forum Standish Voice (SV) has suggested residents are supportive of plans to transform the village’s Rec into a split car park and play park.

But the move has been criticised by local councillors, along with other residents, who say it should be left as it is.

Standish is set to have hundreds of new homes in the next few years with concerns about their knock-on effect on congestion and infrastructure.

And SV has previously said “parking is one of the biggest challenges residents and businesses want us to

tackle.”

The group’s plan for the Rec will be included in a planning blueprint for the village that will be subject to a referendum.

Standish Independent (SI) representative Coun George Fairhurst is among those to argue there is ample parking provision in the village already.