Parking Charge Notice, Shared Car Park, Disabled Blue Badge

Mydian

Sorry to bother you but I really need some advice and hope you can help.

On 23/06/25 I received a letter from Gladstones Solicitors on behalf of Horizon Parking Ltd regarding a Parking Charge Notice from May 2024. 

I accept that earlier communication had not reached me as I had moved and did not realise that when I updated my Driving Licence this did not update my V5C, this has now been corrected. However I believe the Charge to be unfair.

The Charge relates to a Travel Lodge Car Park which is shared with a hospital. I attended the hospital on the day in question as carer for my disabled wife, I parked in a disabled bay and displayed a Disability Parking Blue Badge. I was not aware that apparently the right hand side of the hospital entrance ramp is allocated for the hospital and apparently the left hand side for Travelodge. I tried to contact Horizon Parking but I am outside the appeal time (which I accept is my fault for not updating my V5C correctly). I contacted Gladstones who replied: 

"Only our Client has the authority to vary or rescind a charge. For the avoidance of doubt, we confirm we do not carry such instructions.

All correspondence was sent to the address as provided by the DVLA. It is your legal obligation to ensure your V5C log book is up to date with the correct address.

To confirm, there are no concessions for blue badge holders on private land.

Accordingly, all sums owing are due in full. 

Payment can be made to the account detailed below"

In the event you do not make payment in accordance with the letter before claim, we carry instructions to issue legal proceedings to recover the debt in full. Should it become necessary to issue legal proceedings, we strongly recommend you follow the steps on the claim form upon receipt of the same.

For the avoidance of doubt, we confirm we will not accept any further submissions from you. 

I do not understand how there can be no concessions for Blue Badge holders if there is a Disabled Parking Bay which I believe I used and correctly displayed my Disability Parking Blue Badge? All Disabled Parking Bays on the right hand side of the hospital Entrance ramp were occupied at my time of arrival.

In addition they have stated that they will no longer accept any communication from me.

The only evidence I have received is 2 time stamped photo's showing my car passing the hospital entrance ramp in and out. There are no photos showing my car actually parked.

Should I pay the charge of £155 as it is my fault I didn't update my V5C?

Or should I challenge as I believed I had parked in a disabled parking bay, correctly displayed a Disabled Parking Blue Badge, was attending the hospital and was unaware I had crossed a line into a private parking area?

If I should challenge how would I go about this as neither Horizon nor Gladstones will communicate with me?

I would really appreciate any advice you can give, Thank you

Gr1pr

Your blue badge is just an indicator of a disability but has no other rights on private property , so please study your blue booklet again,  regarding its use on private land, as opposed to the street or council parking bays etc

The Equality Act 2010 applies regardless,  but neither of you were customers 

Presumably the bays were for Travelodge customers only,  not for anyone else to use without permission from the landowner or business 

Private Parking is currently an unregulated industry and being unfair is the M.O. of most or all private parking companies.  Horizon were acting as contractors for the landowner,  so were doing their daily job

We do not recommend paying,  plus not updating the V5c is an issue between yourself and the DVLA, a very common occurrence which could have landed you with a fine of up to £1000 via the magistrates court, but you have now fixed that problem,  this current predicament is one consequence 

Definitely do NOT pay Gladstones 

Do not challenge at this stage,  although you could complain about this to Travelodge and try to get it cancelled as a one off gesture of goodwill  ( known as plan A in the newbies sticky thread in announcements near the top of the forum   )

Do you have a Letter of Claim giving you 30 days notice yet  ?

Do you have a court claim yet  ?

If its NO to both,  complain ASAP to Travelodge and try to get it cancelled 

Come back to this thread if or when you receive either of those 2 letters  ( but not powerless debt collectors letters   )

Mydian

Thank you soooooo much for your swift reply,

The letter I have from Gladstones says it is a Letter Before Claim.

I have written the following letter via an online portal to Travelodge Customer Services:

Dear Travelodge Luton, I am really sorry to bother you but I don't know what else to do. On 08/05/24 I attended the hospital adjacent to your premises at 641 Dunstable Road, Luton, LU4 8RQ and parked in a Disabled Parking Bay next to the hospital entrance ramp on the left of the ramp (facing the ramp) as all disabled parking bays on the right were occupied, displaying a Blue Disabled Parking Badge as required. I was unaware that the parking bay was private and belonged to Travelodge rather than the hospital and parked in the 1st available disabled bay closest to the hospital entrance due to mobility issues. I am now being chased by Horizon Parking Ltd and threatened with court action if I do not pay a £155 Parking Charge Notice (Reference: ******). I do not have £155 and payment of this charge would leave me in financial hardship for what was a one off genuine mistake, when I thought I had parked correctly directly next to the hospital entrance ramp, in a Disabled Parking Bay, displaying the correct badge, in order to attend a hospital appointment. I have tried to contact Horizon Parking and Gladstone Solicitors to explain the situation but I have been told that they will not accept any further communication from me, despite only contacting them once and that if I do not pay I will be taken to court, face further costs and other adverse effects. I have sought advice were I can and have been advised to contact you to see if you would be kind enough to cancel the Parking Charge notice as a matter of good will towards person who made a genuine, unknown, one off mistake  whilst trying to attend a hospital appointment.
I would be extremely grateful if you could find it in your heart to assist me in this matter as the stress and anxiety of the issue and the threat of legal proceedings is literally causing me to feel sick. Should you require any further information please contact me via the above email address or telephone number.
Yours with Kind Regards

I hope that is what you were advising and will return here if I receive any further letter from Gladstones or if Travelodge are kind enough to cancel.

Once again, thank you 

Coupon-mad

Follow the LBC advice in the Newbies thread.

Gr1pr

As above,  if you have a Letter of Claim,  an LBC, respond to Gladstones with the LoC response template and hope that your Travelodge complaint bears fruit   ( because your real dispute is with Travelodge,  not the hospital,  even if they are adjacent,  plus in future read the signage carefully and comply with the terms and conditions,  or leave promptly   )

The best and newest GSV image is 

https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZQBnj38VWFsuzK6x9?g_st=ac

Where you can see Travelodge on the right and what are probably signs by Horizon 

Both sides are private property so you would need to check with Luton hospital what and where their parking rules and requirements are, if they have some of those bays