'There's a hidden upside to the Trafford Centre's new pay-for car park'

I've been driving to the Trafford Centre for the best part of 25 years, and, call me a creature of habit, but I always, always head to the same car park.

It's like I'm a human homing pigeon, only capable of one route through all the roundabouts around the vast shopping mall and cannot possibly deviate from that one car park that I know how to get to.

I did try to get out of my comfort zone on one occasion, trying to park up round by The Orient. But my confusion at the roads on that side saw me end up in Urmston and I don't fancy that palaver again.

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And so it is that I've stuck with the same parking spot through thick and thin over all these years. And that car park is Upper Peel 5, or the 'one near Selfridges' as I've always known it.

Yes, the one the Trafford Centre is soon to barrier off into a new 'Premium Parking' experience that customers will have to pay for.

I, like many shoppers, had seen all the work going on at the car park and just assumed it was being resurfaced. So I admit to feeling somewhat panicky when I saw the plans that had been approved for the first paid-for 'Premium' parking spaces up there, in 'my' car park.

Half of Upper Peel 5 will eventually be barriered off for the new pay-for scheme, although Trafford Centre bosses haven't yet stated when it starts or how much it will cost.

At first I thought 'no way am I paying to park there'. But since then I've had time to reflect, look a bit more at all the details of the thing, and realise you know what? This might not be such a bad thing after all.

For one thing - the new-look car park (which is still free to use for the time being) has giant new spaces to appeal to