NTK for Coop Car Park - Norfolk Parking Enforcement (NPE) ANPR Version

Hello MSE

A Notice To Keeper (NTK) has been received, for parking at a Norwich East of England Co-Op) Shop. They delivered it in good time and in letter form.

Details (redacted) as follows:

National Parking Enforcement LTD
The Studio, St. Nicholas Close, Elstree, Herts, WD6 3EW
Reg: 08031075

Location: Earlham Green (East of England Co-Op), NR4 7TE
Duration: times redacted, but 15 minutes duration

Reason for issue: "Parked in a child and parent bay whilst unaccompanied by a child of 12 years or less, Parked in a disabled bay & failing to display a valid blue badge."

"The driver of the above vehicle, etc.”

Some detail (to be included in any appeal, if advised to by MSE) of the circumstances that caused the driver to be parked in the parent and child bay are as follows:

The driver is an unemployed Granddad, and he wanted to use the cash point machine, and the Co-Op shop, and the post office (all in same place). The driver had no money until he had checked the cash point. When the driver left his car, he had 3 passengers inside (his daughter, and 2 granddaughters under the ages of 12) but as they were all ill with coughs and colds, and crying, he left them alone to visit the cash point first. The driver told his daughter that he would check if he had received benefit payments, and if so, he said he would treat the girls to something in the shop. The driver didn't even think to check if it was OK to park in a child/parent bay with children in the car, as he just assumed it was correct. The drivers child and grandchildren all remained inside the car while he used the cash point, but he had told them all that he would come back to let them know if they could come into the shop too, a few minutes later.

The driver returned to the car to tell them that he didn't have enough money in his account for treats for the children, and also to collect the parcel that he had to post inside the Co-Op. The driver has a postal receipt for the tracking of his parcel, but not for the transaction for food inside the shop, which was in cash.

The driver has witnesses who can confirm that the children were all ill that day.

Following the driver's very brief 15 minute stop at Co-Op, he left the car park none the wiser. He hadn't even remotely considered that he may have breached some private parking notice.

The driver has provided me with a photo which shows the parking warning notice in place at the Co-Op, and it says a “Parent” using the child/parent space would require that the children would have needed to leave the car with the “Parent”.

I will post the photo of the sign in case it’s needed. The wording does sound biased against Grandparents, as it makes no mention that, for example, and elderly Grandparent could use the "Parent and Child Bays", despite the fact that you would expect that to be even more important, from the perspective of the Co-Op, and their ethical stance and community values, to support the elderly. The driver was not an OAP, but he wanted to help raise this potential discrimination for future reference of people, in similar situations.

I will await a reply, and keep reading in the meantime. I have already read a fair amount of the posts on this forum, and I understand that a letter of appeal may be needed. A letter of complaint will also be sent to the Chief Executive of Co-Operative Food; steve.murrells@co-operative.coop

** see below post #8 for correct CEO **

Please advise which template of appeal letter I should be using.

Thanks for the great work you all do.

Photo of the parking notice - I couldn't include due to forum restrictions.