'Too narrow' shopping centre parking bays widened

Car park bays are being widened following complaints they are too narrow for modern vehicles.

Drivers said they had to squeeze into spaces at Kendal's Westmorland Shopping Centre and found it difficult to get out of their cars once they had parked, Westmorland and Furness Council said.

New lines will expand the bays from the current 2.4m (7.8ft) to 2.6m (8.5ft), with some bays located between structural pillars widened to more than 3m (9.8ft) where space allows.

The council said it would mean there were fewer spaces but the revised layout would be a more practical and user-friendly experience for motorists.

A spokesperson said it was in direct response to public feedback as there had been issues for a long time.

People had reported difficulty fitting into spaces and exiting their cars, meaning vehicles overlapped the bays and made many spaces unavailable.

The work, which is expected to last until the end of October, begins on Monday and will start on Level 7 and then move down, with temporary closures one floor at a time.

All disabled parking bays are unaffected and will remain open.

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