The Broadway shopping centre in Bradford has been awarded a certification by the People’s Parking which verifies its capacity to cater for people of all needs and abilities thanks to the quality of the facilities in its multi-story car park.

The 1,323 space car park is the first in the UK to receive the People’s Parking award for its motorcycle parking facilities.

People’s Parking, a national accreditation scheme for car parks, has granted the centre an award in a number of other categories. The car park has been recognised as accessible for disabled people, as well as being family and shopper-friendly. 

The centre also has charging points for electric vehicles and is convenient for commuters travelling by train or bus.

The centre has 63 disabled bays and 54 extra wide parent and child bays to make loading and unloading pushchairs and prams easier.

Dave Downes, Deputy Centre Manager, at The Broadway, has said: “It’s fantastic for The Broadway to be recognised by People’s Parking. We have worked hard to ensure everyone who wishes to visit the shopping centre can do so easily and in a stress-free manner.

“We know how important it is for people to have a sense of independence and we want our visitors to be able to go about everyday activities, such as shopping trips, without having to worry whether they can use the car park safely.”

People’s Parking founder Helen Dolphin said: “Through my work as an independent mobility consultant and as a disabled person myself, I know first-hand the difficulties many of us face when coming in and out of car parks.

“A few small changes to payment methods or parking bays can make life far easier for disabled shoppers, as well as parents with small children, who might otherwise avoided visiting somewhere for fear of having to deal with poorly equipped parking facilities.”

People’s Parking was founded in 2016 by disability campaigner Helen Dolphin MBE and is primarily aimed at improving car parks for customers, enabling them to find a car park which meets their needs.