Booths cuts free parking to 1 hour at Fulwood store in clampdown on Royal Preston Hospital visitors

The supermarket opposite Royal Preston Hospital in Sharoe Green Lane currently offers customers two hours free parking, but this will change on July 8.

Booths said customers are finding it ‘increasingly difficult’ to find spaces due to hospital visitors using the free car park.

From Monday, July 8, free parking will be reduced to one hour but shoppers will have the option to pay for a second hour.

Pay machines will be installed on the car park and payment will be made on exit. The price for two hours parking has not been confirmed at this stage.

No ticket or purchase will be required for those parking up to an hour. Similar parking restrictions are in place at other busy Booths stores, including the branch in Keswick, Cumbria.

The new time limit will be enforced using existing ANPR cameras to record vehicles entering and leaving the car park. The number plate recognition cameras were introduced in 2018 when Booths faced similar problems with demand for spaces at the Fulwood store.

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Customers who visit the in-store cafe will be entitled to an additional hours free parking. They can ask for a barcode to scan at the payment terminal on exit or enter their vehicle reg details at the till point on the tablet provided for cafe customers only.

A Booths spokesperson said: “We’re aware that it has become increasingly difficult for shoppers to find a parking space at Booths Fulwood.

“To ensure that visitors have a better opportunity to park, we will be offering one hour of free parking, with an option to pay a fee on exit for up to two hours.

“Customers visiting our in-store cafe will be entitled to an additional hour’s free parking by either entering their reg details at a terminal by the café till, or requesting a single use barcode scanned at the payment terminal.”