Shoppers and visitors to Stockport town centre will benefit from improved facilities in one of the borough’s major car parks.
Stockport Council, UK Asset Resolution – the landlord of Merseyway shopping centre – and Merseyway itself have jointly invested £1.84m to refurbish the centre’s car park to make it more user-friendly for customers.
New ‘pay on exit’ machines will go live on 15th October. Instead of ‘paying and displaying’, visitors will be able to pay as they leave. This allows shoppers and visitors to drive straight into the car park without the need to buy a pay and display ticket. It will allow people to be more flexible, stay longer if they choose and spend more time in the town centre.
The new signage and improvements to entrances, lifts, stairs and stairwells recently installed have made it more accessible and easier to get around. Safety has also been improved with the installation of new lighting and CCTV cameras.
Councillor Martin Candler, Executive Member for Communities and Sustainability at Stockport Council, said:
“We are committed to doing everything we can to make it appealing, convenient and easy to visit and shop in Stockport. The improvements to Merseyway car park, especially the launch of the new payment system, will encourage even more people to stay for longer and give a much-needed boost to local businesses.”
Brendan Webb, Merseyway Centre Manager said:
“Merseyway is a popular shopping destination due to the centre’s strong retail mix which includes many of the big high street brands. The refurbishment of the car park and new pay on exit facility will benefit our local customer base and we hope attract new shoppers to experience Merseyway and what we have to offer.”
Jacqueline O’Shea, director of property agents GVA and managing agent of Merseyway, added:
“Visitor experience is a crucial aspect of attracting shoppers to a centre and we’re delighted that Merseyway now has a significantly improved parking facility. The new pay on exit system offers far greater flexibility for customers and will increase dwell time and subsequently spend for retailers and local businesses.”
For more information visit www.stockport.gov.uk/merseywaycarpark