PLANS to improve the ‘efficiency and operation’ of the car park at Waitrose in Christchurch have been given the green light.

The supermarket chain had applied for permission to install three automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras in the Bypass Car Park, which serves its Christchurch store.

It also asked to install safety bollards to delineate an area of the car park used by permit holders only.

In a planning statement prepared on behalf of Waitrose, Tim Humphries of planning consultants Firstplan said the changes would “simply allow the car park to be better managed”.

Mr Humphries added they would be “very discreet in nature and appearance”, and have “no impact on amenity or the character and appearance of the surrounding area”.

The planning application was approved by BCP Council on Thursday, October 31.

As reported, the Bypass car park has been publicly run in the past, but Waitrose has agreed to its management going forward.