Merry Hill fees U-turn

Controversial plans to introduce parking charges at Merry Hill Shopping Centre have been shelved indefinitely, it was revealed today.

Complex owner Westfield said today there were "no current plans" to start forcing shoppers to pay for car parks. It had planned to charge 50p for an hour.

The charges would have gone up to £3.50 for five hours and £1.50 increments for each additional hour.

The plans were opposed by stores at the Brierley Hill centre, which include Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Asda and Sainsbury's.

And today it was confirmed that the move has been dropped.

Pressures on traders brought on by the recession are believed to have led to the decision, which will prove popular with Merry Hill store owners and tens of thousands of shoppers who visit every week.

Sainsbury's store manager Natalie Walker said today: "This is fantastic news. It will make us more attractive than, for instance, going into the centre of Birmingham where you have to pay to park."

Westfield development director Neil Huntington said: "There are no current plans to introduce paid parking at Merry Hill."

However he insisted that the company still aims to bring in some kind of 'managed car parking' in the future because of pressure from the Government to force people out of their cars and on to public transport. The decision has upset traders in Dudley town centre, where car parks are pay and display.