Customers can park at the new Whiteley Shopping Centre for free for three hours between 7am and 6pm, it has been announced.
An artists impression of car parking at the Whiteley Shopping Centre
Shoppers can park in four of the six car parking areas during these times when the new £84m development opens on May 23.
People can pay to extend their stay if they need to.
The maximum total stay in the car parks between 7am and 6pm is five hours.
There will be parking for a maximum of one hour free at the smaller Market Square car park, and a maximum of two hours free at the Tesco car park. Parking is free between 6pm and midnight.
The new manager Neil Carter has confirmed parking times after residents were concerned that staff and customers could park in the housing estates if there were not enough allocated spaces.
Whiteley ward Councillor Sam Newman-McKie said: “There was a lot of rumour and speculation about staff parking at Whiteley and a lot of that is unfounded.
“Neil Carter the centre manager has a travel plan coordinator and they have a lot of good things planned.
“Nicola is working on bus routes, train timetables, cycling facilities and providing showers for staff cycling in.”
Cllr Newman-McKie said the free parking at Whiteley could be a reason why Fareham Town Centre has changed the costs to park there.
“If that’s why they’ve revised the parking in Fareham then that’s good,” she said. “It’s not about a threat of competition; it’s about bringing the parking and facilities up for the whole borough.
“Hopefully people will come to Whiteley and Fareham. They’re two different shopping centres. Whiteley hasn’t got a Debenhams, so maybe people will go to Fareham for that, but they might come to our Marks & Spencer.
“The idea is that this area of Hampshire is prospering.”
Signs went up on the site last week about the free parking and additional costs across the six car parks, which has up to 1,500 spaces. Staff will be given parking permits to use, but the shopping centre manager could not confirm the total number.
Mr Carter said: “We’ve got six car parks and within that we have allocation for the staff which we’re working through now. We’re getting total numbers from the retailers on full and part-timers to find out exactly what we need to provide for them.”