Parking stories in the News/media

Nellymoser

https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/2240227/couple-parking-charge-ice-cream/amp

Colin Beck, 73, pulled into the Godshill Cricket forestry car park and bought two Mr Whippys from an ice cream van. Yet after eating them in their vehicle, the couple were subsequently hit with a £100 parking charge.

Colin said the ice cream vendor had told them they could remain for 15 mins before they were required to pay for parking. The couple insist they had left in under 10 mins.The pensioner has refused to pay and is contesting the charge.

"They can get stuffed," Colin told the Daily Echo.

The incident follows Forestry England's introduction of parking fees across the New Forest earlier this year.

"It's another way of screwing the motorists," he said.

"I feel sorry for the guys that have got the ice cream businesses, because it must have hit them really hard."

Forestry England confirmed that drivers were generally afforded 15 minutes before payment was required, with parking rangers keeping watch over the sites.

patient_dream

"parking rangers keeping watch over the sites."

Parking goons given promotion then ?

yarpsnehpets

Forestry England sites are generally not relevant land for PoFA as they are areas under byelaw control.

1505grandad

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/parking-tickets-car-parkingeye-dvla-b3035671.html (Had to turn off JavaScript)

"With individual penalties reaching up to £100, the total daily cost to drivers could exceed £4.6 million at current rates.

Private parking businesses have been accused of using misleading and confusing signs, aggressive debt collection and unreasonable fees.

Many drivers have been sent tickets they claim are unfair because of the way some payment machines operate."

"Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “In the period since parliament unequivocally recognised the need for reform of the private parking industry, some 76 million tickets have been issued in total – an average of well over two for every car in the country.

“Andy Burnham has plenty of big things to worry about, but if his government could get round to fixing this problem, millions of drivers would have one less thing on their minds.”

Some 204 parking management businesses requested vehicle owner records in 2025/26.

ParkingEye was the most active, buying 2.5 million records."

Umkomaas

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108288#Comment_82108288

And every single one of them is a car park abuser, taking devious advantage of the landowner, according to Whurley!

patient_dream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82108438#Comment_82108438

Until government wakes up and understands that the IPC/IAS is a sham and NOT in the interests of the public and terminates them as an ATA and their kangaroo appeals service….. we have to put up with the rubiish WHURLEY spouts

Coupon-mad

Horizon case, looks like a double dip, @Nellymoser but the frightened disabled couple actually paid it, thinking it was a fine:

https://www.ledburyreporter.co.uk/news/26476496.car-parking-fine-row-hereford-tesco-visitors-horizon/

Shame.on.you.Horizon.

Not only did they drive back in to enter their numberplate (so it was a double dip), even if it hadn't been an ANPR double dip error, they are LEGALLY ENTITLED TO AN EXTENSION OF TIME BECAUSE OF THEIR MEDICAL CONDITIONS.

But poxy 24/7 automated ANPR is used by this industry because it's cheaper to blanket surveil every car and treat everyone the same, than it would be to avoid intrusive data harvesting and police disabled bays properly and fairly by using someone on foot.

Illegal of course (excessive surveillance breaches ICO rules and laws) and it breaches the Equality Act 2010 not to allow more time for disabled shoppers.

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

This time it's Group Nexus harassing an elderly hospital patient:

Ipswich Hospital patient fined over faulty car park machine

https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/26475272.ipswich-hospital-patient-fined-faulty-car-park-machine/

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Yep, as is often the case, the hospital are keen to listen but reportedly, Group Nexus didn't and just told the poor old chap when he disputed it, that he 'could have paid by app'.

He damn well couldn't use apps!

The BPA must be so proud.

Coupon-mad

https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/26474969.rules-change-taunton-woman-fined-age-uk-donation/

Rules change after Taunton woman 'fined' £170 for Age UK donation

Another Taunton resident has been hit with a £170 parking charge while dropping off donations at a charity shop.

Damiana Brent, 89, was given the charge after spending just over five minutes at Age UK in May 2026.

Mrs Brent is the second person to contact the Somerset County Gazette after being fined in the car park.

It's ex-clampers UKPC infesting this site.

Mrs Brent was initially given a £100 charge, reduced to £70 for early payment, but it has now risen to £170 after she refused to pay.

"At my age, we could do without that sort of worry. I'm a peaceful person. To me, it's a bit distressing. It drags on and on, and you become more agitated and worried."

A spokesperson for Age UK said:

"We can confirm that customers do now have a 30-min free period where they can drop donations off for free."

Age UK had previously said it does not control the car park.

The case follows an earlier complaint from Taunton pensioner Margaret Lomax, 81, who was issued a £170 parking charge after stopping behind the Age UK charity shop on Bridge Street to drop off donations:

https://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/26258484.taunton-womans-170-parking-fine-donating-age-uk/

Ms Lomax described the fine as "absolute nonsense" and said she had not received the previous notices the parking company said had been sent, while Age UK acknowledged the situation was frustrating for donors but said the privately owned car park was "not under its control".

That's because the parking industry exerts far too much control than this country should allow third party parking firm thugs to have.

The industry is out of control and most of the camera surveillance needs stopping, due to the significant social cost and consumer harm caused to businesses and consumers.

Excessive 24/7 ANPR and CCTV use is actually illegal but thd ICO has done absolutely nothing about it and only got interested in this industry recently when 'adjusting' the KADOE data release rationale, to find in favour of the DVLA, thus letting the tap keep pouring on keeper data sold to these scum firms, with no checks & balances.

This rogue sector has more unchecked surveillance power than even the Police have open to them:

https://professionalsecurity.co.uk/news/case-studies/watchdog-rules-on-herts-anpr/

In July 2013, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) ruled that Hertfordshire Constabulary's use of ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) tracking around Royston was excessive and unlawful. The "ring of steel" camera network breached data protection acts by failing to prove proportionality or conduct proper privacy impact assessments.

Yet this industry hasn't even been looked at. The BPA must be so proud.

patient_dream

I hope the CMA reads this thread of horror stories all of which are anti consumer

I doubt the BPA care, not while they collect membership fees. Whilst the management of the BPA are useless and if they sanction a company, they risk losing them to the sham IPC ? We all know why the IPC/IAS was sey up don't we ?

This is just one reason why their should be ONE ATA. The time has come for Hurley to get himself a real job and IPC/IAS losing ATA status, otherwise the scam will just roll on and on.

Last year regarding the New Code of Practice, a minister said "ALL IN DUE COURSE" …. CLEARLY A JOKER ?

Now we have Burnham and Raynor who is back in her old position, they must wake up to cull this great British scam. They must see that Parking companies are not fit to offer their own appeals as all they want is money.

A real appeals service is well overdue and get rid of POPLA and the IAS

And of course put a stop to the fake scam add-ons