TESCO have confirmed they’re set to introduce a charge for the car park at their town centre outlet on Carnegie Drive.

Shoppers and visitors to Dunfermline have taken advantage of free parking – and not necessarily visited the store – since it opened in October last year.

It was always part of the plan that Tesco would charge, with customers able to claim the money back, but a scheme was never implemented.

They already have number plate recognition software and it’s expected motorists will end up paying to park within the next few months.

A Tesco spokesman said, “We’re keen to ensure that our customers can use the car park with ease when they shop with us. “We’re considering options for the car park, are discussing these options with the council and will keep the local community and our customers updated.” The chair of the City of Dunfermline area committee, Helen Law, said, “There’s an inevitability about what Tesco are doing but there will always be free parking for customers.

“It’s been great over the wee while we’ve had free parking and people may be upset it’s going but it was always part of Tesco’s original plans to charge.” Free parking has been championed by those who say it would bring more people back into the town centre and help revive its flagging fortunes.

The council has always resisted this move, partly on financial grounds, but also because they argued it would mean workers would simply take up all the available spaces by 9am and leave their cars there all day.

Cllr Law said, “On days like the gala day I doubt any customers were able to get into Tesco as the car park was absolutely full.

“You can’t blame people for looking for free parking where it’s available and, overall, I think the store has had a positive impact and brought more footfall to the town centre, certainly Bruce Street has been a lot busier.

“The petrol station has been a boon for people to the west and north of Dunfermline too and I just hope the fact there perhaps won’t be free parking in the future won’t affect the store or town.” The Tesco store received planning permission in May 2008 but the project was hit by delays and one of the sticking points was parking.

Two council car parks, at Bruce Street and Carnegie Drive, were closed to accommodate the new superstore and part of the planning approval was that Tesco should pay £500,000 in compensation and £135,000 for public art.

There was also a stipulation that they should pay a further £528,000 for the loss of 48 car-parking spaces but they argued against this successfully.

Back in 2012, Fife Council said that the 550-space car park would permit a three-hour maximum stay with charges applying Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm.

At the time, Tesco wanted to operate a barrier system where you would get a ticket on arrival and pay the appropriate charge prior to leaving.

They would then validate parking subject to a minimum spend, meaning that customers would not, in effect, be charged and the retail giant would retain all the income from the car park.