A dozen new parent and child bays, alongside a further 10 wider bays, are set to be installed in the Ashley Centre’s car park.

Epsom and Ewell Council approved the move at its environment and safe communities committee meeting on March 26.

The new bays will be put in at level four of the car park, but also see a net loss of 11 parking bays overall.

It comes following an online petition which called for the installation of parent and child-specific spaces, garnering more than 1,200 signatures overall.

This newspaper reported in March 2018 how Banstead mum Kirsty Zambourides felt compelled to begin the campaign after her daughter, Violet, was “nearly run over” in the car park.

Paul Alexander, who signed it, said: “This makes perfect sense with parents having young children. I would think from aged five and under.”

Margot Evans commented: “I look after my grandchildren and would like to use the Ashley Centre, but will be put off doing so until there are a suitable number of allocated parent-child car parking spaces.”

READ: Banstead mum's petition for parent and child bays in Ashley Centre gets 1,200 signatures

The Ashley Centre's car park doesn’t currently have any parent and child bays but recent projects have seen them introduced at car parks in Depot Road, Hook Road and the rear of the town hall.

Meanwhile, the additional wider bays would be for general use on the same level of the car park once installed.

However, a council report which went before the committee warns that parent and child spaces are “difficult to enforce”.

It added: “They are advisory only and therefore, if a visitor does decide to park in a parent and child bay without a child in accompaniment, then a penalty charge notice (PCN) cannot be issued.”

But the report does believe “previously dissatisfied” users may be encouraged to come back and use it following the move.