Pub quickly cancels Parking Controls after complaints.

Belenus

This may be of general interest even if you don't live in the area.

The Earl of March pub in Lavant, West Sussex, recently introduced CCTV enforced parking but quickly abandoned that after complaints.

The pub were concerned that many people parked there in order to walk in the local area. They didn't use the pub but occupied parking spaces for pub users.

I can understand the Pub's point of view but they have now backtracked after negative reactions.

There was a lengthy discussion about it on Nextdoor. This MSE Parking Forum was mentioned a few times. I have put a link at the bottom but I am unsure if you will be able to use the link as perhaps you need to be a registered Nextdoor user.

Here are a few selected extracts from that discussion.

Opening Post: (posted about 5 days ago)

EARL OF MARCH PUB in LAVANT Just wanted to make people aware that the pub has a new parking policy. If you don't register your vehicle at the bar then you will be issued with a parking fine. My wife met me at the pub and didn't go into the bar and didn't see the (quite small) signs about parking and was given a £100 parking ticket, reduced to £60 if paid within 2 weeks. Firstly the fine seems outrageously disproportionate for her parking there for 30 minutes. And the pub is in the middle of nowwhere and I was wondering how many people leave their cars there. Maybe overnight if they've drunk too much in which case the pub is clearly getting a lot of trade from them and maybe the odd walker who might pop in for a drink after their walk. The pub doesn't seem as busy as it once was so I'd have thought they wouldn't want to upset people with this system. We certainly won't be drinking there again.

Some responses:

The reason it has been instigated is to cease the walkers/hikers parking who just go off on the bridleways and customers arrive to dine or drink and all the places are taken. Simple if you are a customer you are going inside to order and you just give your registration number. You would be more agrevated if there was no space to park. I have seen myself walkers/hikers parking in the carpark and walking straight off without using the restaurant.. I agree the signs are not very prominent and I missed them myself but was explained the reasoning at the bar. Bon appetit Alexander

l don't think it's outrageous to try & keep their car park for their clientele. Walkers' cars filling the car park mean pub goers can't park, thd pub loses custom & then closes so who's the winner? If you're going to thd pub you'll be sure of a space & just register the car & park for free. Sounds fair enough tbh.

I’m guessing a lot of people park there for the convenience of walking through the area. It’s far from the middle of nowhere where, Goodwood events get the LOCAL pub a load of business and people parking there to have a walk take away spaces from paying customers. Totally justifiable, if you live in Lavant why be so negative towards one of our local pubs

So many pubs are doing this. They sell their car park to these companies who then charge a fortune if you fail to put your registration into the machine inside the pub. Very annoying

If people are using the pub car park but not the pub they are taking the mick Seems fair enough to me Pub car park for pub customers I’d rather pay £8 for a good pint than £8 for a fancy coffee and a cake Earl of March was once a small working man’s pub that would never have survived without it becoming a destination food pub Any pub in any form still trading has my support It’s part of our culture

They have turned the cameras off now and it’s free to park again now. It was out today with a big sorry.

Pub statement

To all of our customers- regarding our recent car parking arrangements- **WE’RE SORRY, WE GOT IT WRONG** Our motivation was purely to keep the car park for the use of you, our very valued customers. To all of you who have received tickets, and the stress which this has placed on you, we humbly apologise. We are seeking to eradicate any tickets issued since this system was put in place, and we will communicate the result of this in due course. We engaged with a company who assured us that the process was user friendly. Sadly, this couldn’t have been less true. We can now assure you that the cameras have been switched off and the signage will be removed. You are free to park when visiting us, without fear of a fine. We would like to assure you that your custom is very much valued , and hope to welcome you all here very soon. Warmest Regards Adam & The Earl of March team

https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/qXNQ85K5kXtr/?post=17592237093349&comment=17592305869390&s=&is=nce&ct=ub4KYIHzfojuRw6uGcQ0G8Hnx0Rzpb1F-lFnygiFAZpIiCnmDcXxbuGyhKFZXXR1&ec=OsTQaK5EfsnyavzwbSdG6xCsaFBVDChIdtlFdebAXMw=&mobile_deeplink_data=eyJhY3Rpb24iOiAidmlld19wb3N0IiwgInBvc3QiOiAxNzU5MjIzNzA5MzM0OX0=&link_source_user_id=17592191577377

fisherjim

It's a shame well intentioned people just post their imagination instead of looking up facts isn't it:

"So many pubs are doing this. They sell their car park to these companies who then charge a fortune if you fail to put your registration into the machine inside the pub. Very annoying"

Belenus

Jim, that was not the worst of some of the ill informed comments. 

Gr1pr

Belenus said:

So many pubs are doing this. 

They sell their car park to these companies who then charge a fortune if you fail to put your registration into the machine inside the pub. Very annoying

So many pubs are doing this. They sell their car park to these companies who then charge a fortune if you fail to put your registration into the machine inside the pub. Very annoying

They have turned the cameras off now and it’s free to park again now. It was out today with a big sorry.

Pub statement

To all of our customers- regarding our recent car parking arrangements- **WE’RE SORRY, WE GOT IT WRONG** Our motivation was purely to keep the car park for the use of you, our very valued customers. To all of you who have received tickets, and the stress which this has placed on you, we humbly apologise. We are seeking to eradicate any tickets issued since this system was put in place, and we will communicate the result of this in due course. We engaged with a company who assured us that the process was user friendly. Sadly, this couldn’t have been less true. We can now assure you that the cameras have been switched off and the signage will be removed. You are free to park when visiting us, without fear of a fine. We would like to assure you that your custom is very much valued , and hope to welcome you all here very soon. Warmest Regards Adam & The Earl of March team

https://nextdoor.co.uk/p/qXNQ85K5kXtr/?post=17592237093349&comment=17592305869390&s=&is=nce&ct=ub4KYIHzfojuRw6uGcQ0G8Hnx0Rzpb1F-lFnygiFAZpIiCnmDcXxbuGyhKFZXXR1&ec=OsTQaK5EfsnyavzwbSdG6xCsaFBVDChIdtlFdebAXMw=&mobile_deeplink_data=eyJhY3Rpb24iOiAidmlld19wb3N0IiwgInBvc3QiOiAxNzU5MjIzNzA5MzM0OX0=&link_source_user_id=17592191577377

That first part is incorrect,  they arent selling the land to parking companies,  those parking companies are actually sub contractors,  enforcing the rules on the signs, the land is still owned by the llandownerwho employed them, many pub chains are doing this,  registering inside at the bar or reception is very common 

Do you know which parking company was involved   ?

Belenus

Do you know which parking company was involved   ?

No, I don't think that was mentioned in the discussion.

Belenus

That first part is incorrect,  they arent selling the land to parking companies,  those parking companies are actually sub contractors,  enforcing the rules on the signs, the land is still owned by the llandownerwho employed them, many pub chains are doing this,  registering inside at the bar or reception is very common 

On here we mostly know that but the wider public are not always so aware. 

There are a lot of other inaccurate assumptions and statements in that Nextdoor discussion.

Coupon-mad

Thanks for posting. This is really useful to know, not least because: it

- that's close to my neck of the woods, and

- I'm hoping a few of us MSE posters can persuade some wronged businesses to respond to the upcoming Government Consultation to tell their story of how their customers suffered.

At least this Sussex pub saw the light quickly.

Not like these pubs mentioned in the Parking in the News/Media thread:

Coupon-mad said in 2022:

The Bay Horse pub in Chelmsford will no doubt be losing customers in droves, given they have astonishingly forgotten how to Google, and have actually contracted Civil Enforcement to 'fine' their customers:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/motors/20260811/fined-parking-app-took-30-minutes-to-process-payment/amp/

"They are not out of pocket at all, we added extra time to our ticket and left before it ended, so they have no financial loss at all to justify £100 fine. 

"I have told them I’m happy to attend court out of principle!" Currently Hayley is in an on-going battle with Civil Enforcement as she awaits a letter to attend court.

Dumb move by the pub.

So (allegedly) the PPC's own app fails to work properly and even when people manage to pay, they still get £100 PCN. What a clever little scheme.

Sadly, the owners of the Bay Horse pub in Chelmsford will learn the hard way, we expect.

Umkomaas said in 2022:

Sadly, the owners of the Bay Horse pub in Chelmsford will learn the hard way, we expect.

As did the owner at 'We Three Loggerheads' pub in Wales, where Smart Parking's overzealous attack on genuine customers brought the pub owner perilously close to bankruptcy. 

Landlord's woe as car park fine scheme backlash nearly calls time on his pub

https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/loggerheads-mold-car-park-fines-13774891

And the Bay Horse pub in Chelmsford shut down just a year later...
https://www.essexlive.news/news/essex-news/bay-horse-chelmsford-shuts-good-8665535.amp

We Three Loggerheads survived:
https://www.we3loggerheads.co.uk/