Parking stories in the News/media

patient_dream

Hospital parking fees scandal continues as analysis shows one site charges £76 A DAY

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11281485/Hospital-parking-fees-scandal-continues-analysis-shows-one-site-charges-76-DAY.html

SergeiK

https://flipboard.com/topic/cheshireuk/applause-erupts-as-controversial-parking-charges-in-cheshire-town-are-thrown-out/a--Yz6EUtqRaicW6gL1VlMkQ%3Aa%3A2749130945-79df0ca466%2Fco.uk?format=amp

Umkomaas

SergeiK said:

https://flipboard.com/topic/cheshireuk/applause-erupts-as-controversial-parking-charges-in-cheshire-town-are-thrown-out/a--Yz6EUtqRaicW6gL1VlMkQ%3Aa%3A2749130945-79df0ca466%2Fco.uk?format=amp

Couple of very telling points in that article that I think the DLUHC should take very careful note of

At the meeting, Widnes market trader Neil Mcloughlin, speaking on behalf of the traders’ committee, said footfall at the market had reduced ‘by over 50 per cent’.

Appleton ward councillor Eddie Jones read out a statement from the market traders saying they feared for their livelihoods if something was not done.

The slow strangulation of town centres up and down the country. Growth, growth, growth ..... are you sure Liz Truss?

Coupon-mad

ParkingEye's application to slap signs on and around a heritage building & shove ANPR cameras up to help them to rinse visitors with stealth PCNs by post has been refused by Bradford Council.

Hooray (for now. No doubt they'll get their own way in the end though):
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/23021879.amp/

The name of the applicant tells you it's ParkingEye.  Loads of planning applications found by Googling that person's name. Interesting...

Found a similar "we will do this sympathetically, nothing to see here" Heritage Statement bunged in by the same applicant for ParkingEye re a Cornish Heritage site:
https://docs.planning.org.uk/20211119/5/R1P4P1FGH0S00/m3n22seibklva5bb.pdf

Apparently that Hotel was 'suffering abuse'.  Odd that none of the (practically empty) site photos suggest that's true...

No idea if they got that one past the Council.

patient_dream

SergeiK said:

https://flipboard.com/topic/cheshireuk/applause-erupts-as-controversial-parking-charges-in-cheshire-town-are-thrown-out/a--Yz6EUtqRaicW6gL1VlMkQ%3Aa%3A2749130945-79df0ca466%2Fco.uk?format=amp

EURO CAR PARKS and as said, perfect for the eyes of the DLUHC

"PAY FOR YOUR PARKING AT THE MACHINE LOCATED NEAR THE SHOPPING CENTRE"

As signs go, that takes the biscuit for stupidity.  No doubt BPA approved
https://ic-cdn.flipboard.com/liverpoolecho.co.uk/aac25b9a1fa45fd9448eb65256c280dc1bfbc635/_medium.webp

Coupon-mad

Umkomaas said:

SergeiK said:

https://flipboard.com/topic/cheshireuk/applause-erupts-as-controversial-parking-charges-in-cheshire-town-are-thrown-out/a--Yz6EUtqRaicW6gL1VlMkQ%3Aa%3A2749130945-79df0ca466%2Fco.uk?format=amp

Couple of very telling points in that article that I think the DLUHC should take very careful note of

At the meeting, Widnes market trader Neil Mcloughlin, speaking on behalf of the traders’ committee, said footfall at the market had reduced ‘by over 50 per cent’.

Appleton ward councillor Eddie Jones read out a statement from the market traders saying they feared for their livelihoods if something was not done.

The slow strangulation of town centres up and down the country. Growth, growth, growth ..... are you sure Liz Truss?

Very telling, and similar to the one I posted last week where a business owner was too scared to be named but stated that her takings were down by over 40% due to a PPC driving people away:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/79523763/#Comment_79523763

Useful stuff to inform the Impact Assessment. The effect of the Code of Practice on businesses must take account of more than just the effect on PPCs.

Silently, small businesses are being ruined by PPCs.  We know it but I'm certain the Government doesn't realise how bad it is.

Takings and footfall down by up to 50% is unsustainable for local shops.  This is undoubtedly one of the main reasons high street shops have died out in some towns.

Coupon-mad

Coupon-mad said:

Sainsburys Horsham had the bright idea of changing a working parking system to one that catches people out:

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/concerns-over-new-parking-system-at-horsham-supermarket-3791078

https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/readers-letter-outrageous-sainsburys-parking-system-is-clearly-designed-to-make-euro-car-parks-money-3860138?amp

Nice work EURO CAR PARKS.

An old lady and dozens of other genuine shoppers already ripped off and driven away:

instructions are written by people who assume the reader is holding a smart-phone and can absorb new technology fast – or by people who hope the elderly will fall foul of the system and become liable for fines.

Mum paid the fine because Euro Car Parks reduce the fine if you pay it fast. 

Same story as the above woeful tale from Horsham, is being played out at Bromley Sainsburys:
https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/23022960.bromley-shopper-may-swap-sainsburys-tesco-due-parking-system/

Bromley shopper may swap Sainsbury's for Tesco due to parking system

Good work, EuroCarParks.  Must be so proud.  Exactly the same MO as reported at Horsham.

Replacing a system that worked (without fines) with one that issues PCNs like confetti to staff and customers, driving people away.

One victim says:

"I always validate my ticket, so we were really shocked to get a letter to say that we were being fined for parking there.

“You're scared to go in there at the minute - because of all this. I'm saving all my shopping receipts and the validation ticket and keeping them in an envelope for a month in case I get another one.

The girls at the tills were saying ‘we have had tickets too and the managers have as well.

“Every time you go in Sainsbury’s you hear somebody saying ‘I've had two tickets. What's going on?’ Everyone is up in arms.

“What upset me was I was in the store a few weeks ago and this little old lady was almost in tears saying ‘I've got a ticket and I don't know what to do’. She said to me ‘I always validate, and I did everything I'm supposed to do'.

“There are a lot of people that are older and they don't understand this system, so they think they've done something wrong.  I've heard a lot of older people are just paying the £50 straight away so they don't get fined £85 further down the line."

Another says online:

“Stopped going there since they introduced the new complicated parking system.”

Coupon-mad

But of course, Tesco are deluded enough to also velieve they need inflexible, faceless ANPR systems:
https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/north-shields-tesco-fine-car-25184702?int_source=amp_continue_reading&int_medium=amp&int_campaign=continue_reading_button#amp-readmore-target

North Shields couple slapped with fine after getting stuck for hours in gridlocked Tesco car park

"David said: "I have not had a problem with Tesco before and the problem is not necessarily with the whole of Tesco, it's with their attitude towards this. I think we will be less likely now to shop at Tesco."

The victims complained to Tesco who reportedly fobbed their customers off and said they couldn't help.

But of course they can. After being contacted by Chronicle Live, Tesco cancelled the parking charge notice. A spokesperson for the company said: "We are sorry to hear about this and have now cancelled this customer's PCN."

Coupon-mad

Wouldn't it be great if landowners, hotels and retailers were somehow incentivised and/or encouraged by planners to be more user-friendly, manage their own parking again (with a barrier where needed) and NOT to use a third party PPC and ANPR?

How much better shops and the high streets would function without such scams.

Snakes_Belly

"The slow strangulation of town centres up and down the country. Growth, growth, growth ..... are you sure Liz Truss?"

I noticed this week that Mark's Simply Food is setting up on a retail park outside the city centre. They were originally in the Three Spires shopping centre that was serviced by the notorious Excel car parks. 

Too be fair I think that the fall out was over the lease but I bet they are glad that they have moved out to a site which has better parking for their customers.