Concern at location of disabled parking bays at new Lidl store in Derry

A disabled man has criticised the location of disabled parking bays at the new Lidl store in Derry.

The man claimed that the bays were located further from the store's entrance than would normally be the case and were putting more strain on disabled customers.

In response, Lidl said they had 'carefully considered' the location of the disabled parking bays at their new store at Springtown but added that they welcomed feedback from customers.

The local man, who did not wish to be named, said he was a regular customer at Lidl.

“I have been shopping at Lidl's previous store at Buncrana Road for years and their disabled parking bays there were right beside the door,” he said.

“This made shopping at the Lidl very accessible for disabled people.

“However, I was surprised when I went to the new store for the first time to see that the disabled parking bays are now quite a distance from the entrance.

“It may look like the bays are close to the entrance but for disabled people this is quite a distance and makes the shopping experience just that bit more difficult.”

Feedback

A spokesperson for  Lidl  Northern Ireland said the car park at the new store had 146 spaces, including five disabled spaces.

“In developing the site, we carefully considered the positioning of these parking spaces to ensure that customers requiring extra support could more easily access dedicated trolley bays as a priority.

“We remain committed to providing the best shopping experience possible and we welcome feedback from our customers which will always be considered,” added the spokesperson.