Since conversion to ‘pay on foot’ (the system that allows you to pay on exit), the Kennet Centre multi-storey has become one of the most popular car parks in town. Car park manager Martyn Baker described it as a ‘honey pot’ attracting motorists and shoppers who don’t want to be restricted by a time limit.

The car park has suffered from severe congestion in recent weeks, with some motorists having to pay to get out even though they had been unable to park.

Mr Baker said that “cars are not allowed to enter if there was no space available for them”. “The problems have been caused by motorists ‘hanging about’ on the landings of the lower floors waiting for a space to become available rather than look for a space on the top floors”.

When queried about alleged ‘aggressive’ attitude from the attendants of the pay and display car parks, he defended them by saying that there were limits to the extra time that could be allowed. He suggested that it was only 60p per hour to park in Newbury, and that shoppers in these car parks should buy more time than they needed to ensure that they were allowing themselves enough time if they were held up at the tills.