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Staff at the Abbey Centre have hit out over new parking changes due to begin this month.

Previously all parking at the Newtownabbey centre was free.

However, now the car park will be operated on a long and short-stay basis

There are 198 spaces in the long-stay car park which costs £1.50 per day.

The remaining ‘short-stay’ spaces are free for four hours, however, if you park for any longer then you could incur a Penalty Charge Notice of up to £100.

Staff are concerned that they’ve to pay for parking - and that they may not get into the long-stay car park and face a fine for using the short stay spaces if their shift is longer than four hours.

A staff member told Belfast Live that the situation could cause problems for staff and customers.

She said: “I think the centre manager hasn’t taken any of the staff concerns on board and a lot of problems will arise for staff and customers alike.

“With only 198 allocated spaces for long-stay this will cause major problems with the 850+ workforce within the centre and because it’s first come, first served basis many staff arriving for an afternoon shift won’t be able to get parked within the long-stay car park - therefore risking getting a £100 fine.

“The bus route to and from the centre is limited and doesn’t run for early morning or late night shifts. The likelihood that the main people targeted and staying over the four hour period will be staff who are mostly on minimum wage.”

A spokesperson from the centre said: “It is important to note that the long-stay car park is not exclusively a staff car park. Our landlord are under no obligation to provide free parking or otherwise for staff.”

They added: “Car Park C, Level 2 and 3 has been designated as long-stay. If shoppers and staff wish to park and shop/work for a period of time over four hours, they must park in the long-stay car park and pay £1.50 per day (ie until midnight).

“A free four hour limit on the other car parks remains. If you park elsewhere for over a four hour period you will receive a PCN.

“198 Long Stay Parking spaces are available including parent and child and disabled spaces. These are available on a first come, first served basis.”

The spokesperson said that there will be bicycle racks installed at various locations and a digital screen located at the customer services desk will display public transport information to include local bus routes and timetables.

They added that washroom facilities are available for all staff in the centre management suite. The changes come into effect from February 19.