Parking restrictions being introduced at Cumbernauld shopping centre

The Centre Cumbernauld has announced it is to introduce parking restrictions from next week.

The car parks at The Centre Cumbernauld will be covered by automatic number plate recognition technology

This follows Tesco and The Antonine Centre doing likewise last year and will see customers restricted to three hours, with those exceeding the limit hit with a £100 fine.

Automatic number plate recognition cameras and signage were installed on Monday, with the system going live a week later (January 21).

Operations manager Alasdair Irving said: “Unfortunately, as a result of both Tesco and the Antonine Centre introducing parking restrictions for the car parks they control we are now having to follow suit to end the parking abuse at The Centre Cumbernauld.

“We have had increasing complaints from the public during November and December about not being able to park on our side. If left unresolved, this would impact on the footfall of the centre.”

The three-hour limit applies from 8am-6pm, seven days a week. Tenants were asked to submit a list of staff number plates to ensure they are not fined.

Cumbernauld’s MSP Jamie Hepburn and MP Stuart McDonald have written to the centre owners, HAMCAP, to express concerns.

They wrote: “We have received communication from businesses located within the centre who are anxious about the negative impact this will have on them.

“Further, we are also anxious that this could discourage shoppers from the town in light of the parking restrictions already in place in the Antonine Centre.

“While we appreciate car parks can often be misused, we note that the centre’s car parks do not appear to be at capacity on a daily basis.

“We would therefore question the need for these restrictions.