That’s your parking lot

OFF LIMITS: former B&Q car park

Free spaces end — for now

Motorists who have enjoyed free parking got a shock when their Mumps car park was closed off and new barriers erected.

The derelict B&Q store and land has been bought to create a new park and ride hub for Metrolink.

But for months it has been a free car park for Oldham workers, who enjoyed easy access to the old car park with no barriers.

Now, new owners Greater Manchester Integrated Transport Authority has closed it off and built new yellow barriers to secure the site.

However the move is a short-term measure, the authority said, and the car park will soon reopen for an interim period before the Metrolink work starts.

A spokesman added: “We are currently in negotiations to restore car park use quite shortly, and allow people to park on the site again before construction work starts on the Metrolink park and ride scheme.”

The car park was also a popular free home for travelling people and their caravans who were moved off the site four times last year.

However the cars in this picture were not trapped . . . a security guard let everyone out while stopping any new parkers getting in.