BOSSES from Tesco, who are currently under fire from local traders for planning to open an in-store bakery, are now challenging Scarborough Council over parking charges.
At the moment, it is a condition of planning permission that drivers using the customer car park are charged at least as much as they are for using the council-run car park on Station Avenue.
During the high season, the fee is £1.50 for up to an h
our and £2.50 for two hours or £1 for an hour and £1.50 for two hours in the off-season.
Tesco said it had a policy of not charging customers to park in any of their car parks and they were equally concerned that setting future tariffs would be out of their control.
In a letter to the council's planning department, supermarket representative Claire Whittaker said: "It should be further recognised that none of the large stores with which this store would compete
charge for the use of their car park, and therefore the proposed Tesco store would be at a competitive disadvantage, to the wider detriment of Filey town centre through the loss of linked trips."
She added: "The extent of Tesco's concern on this matter is such that they would not be prepared to proceed with their investment in Filey if they were forced to comply with the condition as presently worded."
They are now asking that the store car park is made available free to shoppers for a maximum of two hours, to be enforced by independent management contractors.
Development of the site is already well advanced, with the company aiming to open the store by the end of the year.
During a recent meeting between the two sides, Scarborough Council argued that the policy could have a negative impact on the income of other council-operated car parks.
However, Tesco said this was not a planning matter and in any case bosses believed that a well-managed short stay car park should have no implications for long-stay parking income.
In fact it would have a positive effect in persuading residents to change their shopping habits and start shopping in Filey, to the wider benefit of town centre traders, they said.
The supermarket also pointed out that 71 per cent of town centre businesses interviewed as part of a retail study in 2007 considered car parking for the centre of the town needed to be improved. And they said an "improved town centre retail offer" would further encourage the use of longer-stay spaces.
Consultation on the application is ongoing.
