Tesco Mirfield parking signs vanish after shopper outrage

Shoppers reacted with horror after Tesco placed signs up limiting the maximum stay to just 20 minutes for its car park in Huddersfield Road.

But after receiving complaints from shoppers and residents, Tesco made a dramatic U-turn on the decision, choosing to remove the signs last Thursday.

A spokesman said: “The feedback we have received since the signs went up is that a 20-minute limit is too short, so we have decided to revert to the previous limit. Our only interest is in doing the right thing for our customers and the local community.

“We want to strike the right balance between ensuring customers can find spaces when they need them, and ensuring people have enough to time to do their shopping.”

The maximum parking time in the car park has returned to two hours.

A town councillor had branded the move as “outrageous” when signs were put up over the Easter weekend in the car park of Tesco in Huddersfield Road – telling shoppers they could only park for 20 minutes or risk a fine.

Mirfield town councillor David Pinder (inset) said: “The car park is used as a throughway for those who use parking spaces in the street behind it.

“If they were parking in the spaces behind the car park then driving back out through there, they would be picked up by the cameras as staying in the car park for longer than 20 minutes, and could be sent a fine. I think Tesco may have realised this.

“Twenty minutes to stay in a car park is outrageous.”

Last week, a Tesco spokesman had defended the decision, and said: “Customers were telling us they were frustrated at not being able to park, so we decided to reduce the time limit to help ensure spaces are always available. “