Parking stories in the News/media

daveyjp

I've also used Q park, not anymore as prices are mad (!), but it is well managed. I know they have contracts with some significant companies, including long term holiday parking booked via the holiday provider and those aren't contracts they would want to be losing.

Nellymoser

Q-Park also own Britannia Parking, bought 2yrs ago according to their MD who guested on the recent BBC Radio 4 programme on private parking.

Britannia car parks are clearly managed differently to the Q-Park car parks....at the West Quay Retail Park drivers complaints were continually ignored, action from Trading Standards was needed to force the company to change their unfair parking T&C, signs and cancel pcns.

Nellymoser

Repetitive ANPR camera misread

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0jwekdjgzo

Over last 6mths the man received six incorrect £100 pcns for parking at the Dragonfly Hotel in Peterborough—an area the man hasn’t been near to in 6yrs.

The ANPR camera operated by Civil Enforcement repeatedly misread one letter on a vehicle completely different to the one the man owns.

The mix-up became so frequent that hotel staff got to know the man on a first-name basis as he called to sort out the errors.

CEL issued an apology and promised that the automated system has been updated to stop the errors.

Is CEL's system capable of that? The man received two envelopes on the same day: one containing a cancellation letter apologising for the duplication, and the other containing yet another brand new pcn 🤦

kryten3000

BBC News this morning: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpq0n4z1n7wo

Not a great article.

"The IPC said it was unable to share data on the number of parking charges that were paid or unpaid but encouraged motorists to engage with the appeals process should they feel a parking charge has been issued in error."

Thankfully we already have this information thanks to WillH posting a photo from the IPC conference a couple of years ago.

They also quote the IPC suggesting that motorists use 247advice dot co dot uk for assistance when the far superior 247advice.uk is available ;)

Nellymoser

Frightened Double-Dipping victim paid £170

https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/26531547.elderly-woman-fined-170-parking-gp-car-park-twice-day/

The first letter Marilynd, 83 from Cumbria received was from a Debt Recovery Agency.

"The letter I received demanding £170 frightened me to death. I thought I was going to prison. I paid it out of sheer panic and fear, not knowing what I had done wrong.

"I didn't want bailiffs coming to my house and I was scared of going to court."

With the help of her friend Marilynd tried to appeal the fine after paying it, however National Parking Control replied explaining that paying the fine was accepting liability.

NCP said in an email to Marilynd: "Please note that as you have paid your PCN you have accepted liability of the charge. This means we will not accept any appeal, neither will we issue a refund."

Marilynd said: "I feel so done upon, I didn't do anything wrong. "If it was just £30 or £50 I wouldn't care but it is nearly a whole week of my pension.

Looks like NCP and Ulverston Health Centre don't care either both have been contacted by the paper but have not commented.

Half_way

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82130781#Comment_82130781

Letter before action to the health centre, quoting the NHS parking principles

patient_dream

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82130771#Comment_82130771

I guess the CMA will get the hidden information

I love the stupidity of the IPC saying they encourage people to use the appeals ?? Hurley still does not understand that his IAS is a complete load rubbish and more of a protection racket

patient_dream

BBC RIP OFF BRITAIN TODAY

Smart Parking up to their tricks again and the programme showed one of those stupid DRP letters

MrJenkinsEsq

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82130771#Comment_82130771

drivers should never ignore a parking charge notice

Isaac Occhipinti, man who receives your parking charge money

GrannyKate

Re Ulverston Health Centre and ownership of the building and probably the land - The building is now owned and maintained by NHS Property Services Ltd, the estates arm of the NHS. There is also an NHS Trust owned building at the same site but NHS Property Services Ltd almost certainly own the car park. I do not know the date of the events in this case but a new system was installed in April 2026

Car parking is free of charge for 2 hours but spaces are limited.

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) is in operation in the car park. Patients attending medical appointments can log their vehicle registration number at any kiosk inside the building, regardless of which service they are using.

Any ticket appeals are managed directly by the ANPR company. Their contact details are displayed on signage around the car park.