Changes proposed to parent and child and disabled parking at Fosse Park Marks and Spencer

People with blue badges and parents with young children will be affected by changes to parking at Marks and Spencer at Fosse Park if a planning application goes ahead. M&S has asked Blaby District Council for permission to reduce the number of disabled parking bays and increase the number of parent and child parking spaces.

If the plan is approved, disabled parking bays will reduce from 25 to 23, and the number of parent and child spaces will increase from five to 17. Planning consultancy Lichfields, working on behalf of M&S, said the proposed additional 12 bays for parents and children would mean youngsters would not have to "navigate across the considerable sized car park at Fosse Park".

To help create room for the new spaces, 23 existing trolley bays, which planning documents note are "surplus to requirements and contribute towards visual clutter" would be removed. The bays would be resurfaced to match the existing car park. Eleven new trolley bays would be created as part of the scheme.

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According to planning documents, the proposed new layout of the parking bays would be a more efficient use of space outside the store, and would "[benefit] the store's functionality and safety".

Other proposed work in the car park includes the removal of two tree planters to help with "pedestrian flows", and resurfacing work with new concrete block paving and stainless-steel bollards to match the surrounding area.

The plan is among the latest changes to have been revealed since work started on the expansion of the store earlier this year. That work is due to be completed this autumn, with one part of the extended store having already opened in May.

The company's plan to expand its Fosse Park store was approved earlier this year by Blaby District Council. The plan had been objected to by Leicester City Council, which feared the move would damage trade in the city.

M&S has previously said that the Fosse Park scheme was its biggest single investment in a store renewal to date. It has also announced the closure of its Leicester city centre branch, causing much dismay among shoppers.