Kendal Parking Changes: Wider Spaces Could Mean Fewer Bays

Kendal Car Park to Get Wider Bays But Fewer Spaces

Kendal Car Park Changes Will Create Wider Bays but Fewer Parking Spaces Drivers in Kendal are set to get wider parking bays at Westmorland Shopping Centre, but the changes will also reduce the overall number of spaces available. Westmorland and Furness Council says work will begin on Monday 28 September 2026 after motorists raised concerns that the existing bays are too narrow for many modern vehicles. The project will increase standard bay widths from 2.4 metres to 2.6 metres, while some spaces between structural pillars will be widened to more than three metres where possible. That could make parking easier for drivers, particularly those using larger modern cars, but there is an obvious trade-off: the revised layout will contain fewer parking spaces overall. Why are Kendal's parking bays being changed? The council says the decision follows customer feedback about the size of the existing parking spaces. Westmorland Shopping Centre car park is an important town-centre facility, serving residents, businesses and visitors, so changing its layout could affect motorists who regularly rely on it. The work will be carried out floor by floor, with temporary closures limited to the areas where relining is taking place. The council says this approach is intended to keep the car park operational during the programme. For drivers, however, fewer spaces can create a different problem. A car park that is easier to park in is useful, but motorists still need to be able to find a space when they arrive. The council has recognised this issue and says it has reviewed its own parking arrangements and usage to help free up more visitor and resident parking elsewhere in Kendal town centre. A wider review of parking provision across Kendal is also planned, looking at current usage and future demand to help shape future parking strategies and investment. The changes highlight a wider problem faced by drivers in busy town centres: improving individual parking spaces does not necessarily mean there will be more spaces available. For motorists visiting Kendal while the work is taking place, checking parking options before travelling could therefore be useful, particularly if their usual car park is temporarily affected. The council currently lists Westmorland Shopping Centre car park as having 629 general spaces, alongside parent-and-child and disabled bays. It operates as a pay-on-exit car park. Drivers can also check other parking options in Kendal rather than simply arriving and hoping to find an available space. Planning ahead can be particularly useful when visiting a busy town centre at peak times. This is one of the practical problems EveryonesParking is designed to help with. Instead of leaving parking until the last part of a journey, drivers can look for suitable parking options before they set off. As Kendal prepares for its car park changes, the message for drivers is simple: wider bays may make parking less cramped, but with fewer spaces available, knowing where you are going to park could become just as important as getting there.