Some readers have criticised a Romford shopping centre's announcement that its car park was going cashless.

The Brewery in Romford moved to a cashless system on Thursday (October 5), sparking mixed reactions.

Some readers have claimed the move will exclude older people, those who do not own credit cards and will harm many businesses in Romford.

“There is absolutely no reason for this to happen,” said Lisa Whitney. “It will exclude people who don’t have credit cards as well as people who choose to use cash only.”

Chris Joslin, another resident, added: “This move will ruin many businesses in Romford – more empty high street shops will happen.

“Cashless isn’t the way forward, it’s the small businesses I feel sorry for.”

RELATED NEWS: The Brewery car park in Romford will be going cashless

A spokesperson for The Brewery said a ticketless, cashless system was a progressive step and other UK parking operators have embraced this already.

“This system is easier for the user and eliminates the need for customers to carry tiny parking tickets that they often lose,” they said.

Security officers have been on hand to help people understand the new system if required, the spokesperson added.

Robert Lee took a different view to some other shoppers and said machines need maintenance and emptying, which costs money.

“[The] majority of people pay for shopping by credit card,” Robert said. “So why not park [using your] credit card?”

But Maria Goff predicted that the change would result in The Brewery losing revenue as older customers are put off.

“[They’re] going to lose a lot of customers, especially the elder generation that don’t have smart phones,” she said.

Parking management company Orbility had partnered with The Brewery to make this change.

People have been told that they can drive in and park without stopping, since entry and exit will be controlled by automatic number plate recognition.

Motorists can make payments by card or digitally via an express checkout option, using QR codes found on The Brewery’s website.

“These systems are quick, secure and easy to use and should be welcomed by visitors,” a Brewery spokesperson added.