Supermarket giants Tesco have rebuffed claims by a Whitchurch business that its new parking regulations are stifling the town.

The Whitchurch Antiques Emporium, in Green End, told The Herald last week that capping parking to a three-hour stay outside the supermarket has seen takings go down in June and July.

But the supermarket says it has received positive feedback from customers since the changes came into effect before the summer.

A Tesco spokesperson said: “Since introducing the changes to our Whitchurch superstore car park in May this year we’ve had positive feedback from customers telling us that they can park easily, use the store and visit the town centre.

“We made the changes to prevent abuse of the car park, which had escalated in recent years, and to strike a balance between allowing time to visit the store, use the town centre and keep spaces free for our customers.

“We made the changes to the car park management in May as a result of long term abuse leading to congestion and complaints from customers.”

The spokesperson added that the company will always appreciate feedback from the community and the vast majority of comments have been positive.

Initially, the restrictions were that only Tesco customers could park at the White Lion Meadow, but a three-hour limit was soon introduced.

Tesco says it was in order to strike a balance that would help customers to both park at and visit the store, as well as use the town centre.