Euro Car Parks (ECP) Eastgate Basildon Shopping Centre

desjazz

Hi All,

I'm looking for a bit of help with the next stage of my appeal. Here's the previous history:

11/11/2025 - Received NTK (Date of Event 31/10/2025 / Date Issued 05/11/2025) - see NTK here
12/11/2025 - Complained to Retailer and was auto-directed to go to ECP's appeal process
12/11/2025 - Appealed via ECP using the template highlighted in the Newbies page, here, as below:

"I dispute the parking charge as vehicle keeper. I deny liability or contractual agreement and will lodge a complaint about your predatory conduct with the landowner. I make no admission of the driver; no assumptions can be drawn. Because the PCN is vague, I request a full explanation and evidence. Provide a close‑up photo of the sign at the alleged location on the relevant date and images of the vehicle. If the claim involves a PDT machine, supply the payment records showing partial VRNs and explain why the PCN was issued, as the Notice is unclear. If the claim concerns an alleged overstay of minutes, supply evidence of the actual grace period agreed by the landowner. I trust you will resolve this promptly and refund any unjust charges. Please confirm receipt of this appeal."

05/12/2025 - Received rejection from ECP - see here

I'm now planning to do a POPLA appeal. From reading the extensive Newbies info, I've found a similar claim here and have used this one as the basis for my appeal.

Can you take a look at what I have and provide any further guidance, please?

I've hastily cut the docs down from the original 29 pages to 17 and have this so far.

Gr1pr

desjazz said:

Hi All,

I'm looking for a bit of help with the next stage of my appeal. Here's the previous history:

11/11/2025 - Received NTK (Date of Event 31/10/2025 / Date Issued 05/11/2025) - see NTK here

12/11/2025 - Complained to Retailer and was auto-directed to go to ECP's appeal process

12/11/2025 - Appealed via ECP using the template highlighted in the Newbies page, here, as below:

"I dispute the parking charge as vehicle keeper. I deny liability or contractual agreement and will lodge a complaint about your predatory conduct with the landowner. I make no admission of the driver; no assumptions can be drawn. Because the PCN is vague, I request a full explanation and evidence. Provide a close‑up photo of the sign at the alleged location on the relevant date and images of the vehicle. If the claim involves a PDT machine, supply the payment records showing partial VRNs and explain why the PCN was issued, as the Notice is unclear. If the claim concerns an alleged overstay of minutes, supply evidence of the actual grace period agreed by the landowner. I trust you will resolve this promptly and refund any unjust charges. Please confirm receipt of this appeal."

05/12/2025 - Received rejection from ECP - see here

I'm now planning to do a POPLA appeal. From reading the extensive Newbies info, I've found a similar claim here and have used this one as the basis for my appeal.

Can you take a look at what I have and provide any further guidance, please?

I've hastily cut the docs down from the original 29 pages to 17 and have this so far.

Incorrect,  plan A is always to complain about the pcn to the landowner or retail park management company,  not the retailer, especially as its a shopping centre,  with multiple retailers,  so whichever retailer you complained to gave you a template fob off

Plan A is still a better option than plan C that you are proposing 

What do the signs say  ? Because they say that the vehicle was on site for 122 minutes with no valid payment or permit,  seems to me that it's a pay and display park, so was full payment made   ?

The appeal you base your popla appeal on is 7 years old, 2018, so the BPA Code of Practice has changed at least twice since, so ECP are basing their arguments on the current Code of Practice from a year ago 

The NTK PCN letter was issued 5 days after the incident date so well within POFA2012 and was presumed delivered 2 business days later , regardless of its subsequent delivery date

desjazz

Gr1pr said:

desjazz said:

Hi All,

I'm looking for a bit of help with the next stage of my appeal. Here's the previous history:

11/11/2025 - Received NTK (Date of Event 31/10/2025 / Date Issued 05/11/2025) - see NTK here

12/11/2025 - Complained to Retailer and was auto-directed to go to ECP's appeal process

12/11/2025 - Appealed via ECP using the template highlighted in the Newbies page, here, as below:

"I dispute the parking charge as vehicle keeper. I deny liability or contractual agreement and will lodge a complaint about your predatory conduct with the landowner. I make no admission of the driver; no assumptions can be drawn. Because the PCN is vague, I request a full explanation and evidence. Provide a close‑up photo of the sign at the alleged location on the relevant date and images of the vehicle. If the claim involves a PDT machine, supply the payment records showing partial VRNs and explain why the PCN was issued, as the Notice is unclear. If the claim concerns an alleged overstay of minutes, supply evidence of the actual grace period agreed by the landowner. I trust you will resolve this promptly and refund any unjust charges. Please confirm receipt of this appeal."

05/12/2025 - Received rejection from ECP - see here

I'm now planning to do a POPLA appeal. From reading the extensive Newbies info, I've found a similar claim here and have used this one as the basis for my appeal.

Can you take a look at what I have and provide any further guidance, please?

I've hastily cut the docs down from the original 29 pages to 17 and have this so far.

Incorrect,  plan A is always to complain about the pcn to the landowner or retail park management company,  not the retailer, especially as its a shopping centre,  with multiple retailers,  so whichever retailer you complained to gave you a template fob off

Plan A is still a better option than plan C that you are proposing 

Thanks, @Gr1pr, I can find the landowner and give that complaint another shot. I'll review the timescales for any POPLA appeal so I do that without losing the POPLA appeal approach as the plan C, as you say, then.

Gr1pr

Bin that old popla appeal and start from scratch,  anything in the last year, not 7 years, read my reply again because I added more details,  and AI says

The Galliard DVS Joint Venture successfully completed the purchase of the Eastgate Shopping Centre in Basildon, Essex in March 2023.

Google says

https://eastgateshoppingcentre.com/privacy/

desjazz

Gr1pr said:

What do the signs say  ? Because they say that the vehicle was on site for 122 minutes with no valid payment or permit,  seems to me that it's a pay and display park, so was full payment made   ?

No payment was made as the visit was to the PureGym and they apparently give you 2 hours of free parking per visit, for which the stay was apparently just over. To my mind, the extra 2 mins might be permissible as a reasonable bit of leeway for leaving the car park, but what I think and what ECP think may well be different.

Gr1pr

Was the correct VRM entered into the ipad or console in Pure gym to obtain the 2 hours free parking permit that you say is on offer to gymgoers  ?

Do you have up to date pictures of the signage on that private site   ?

What legal challenges do you believe should win an appeal to ECP or to popla  ? Post the bullet points

The grace period at the end of an authorised parking session is a minimum of 10 minutes

In my mind, the gym goer didn't obtain 2 hours free parking as a permit within the gym at reception 

Its written in red on the sign you showed us in your pdf document 

Bin the 2018 Parking Eye example you linked, start over,  anything seen in the last 14 months,  not 7 years

desjazz

Thanks for responding.

I have to say that the gym goer didn't obtain the parking validation so have to work on the basis that that was missed (not the best as it's part of the benefit of going to the gym). On the previous occasions, I don't recall they gym goer doing that either but the stay would have been less than the 2 hours on all previous visits (bar the first when they would have done that). The actual gym visit could probably be confirmed via PureGym's access logs/app, if that helps to confirm the entrance and departure times to explain/prove use of the facilities in PureGym. I believe there is a machine somewhere in the gym to allow that as it is unmanned much of the time.

I don't have any pictures of the signage as it wasn't an out of town visit to another branch but I could potentially be visiting it around Xmas.

For legal challenges I'll have to do some research here looking at the newer examples you've pointed me to. I'll need to go through the newbies section/search for more recent examples, but would be expecting the following:

1. Signage text size and ease of comprehension
2. Whether it's legible when driving
3. Validity of authorisation to charge for parking based on landowner permission

(don't shoot me, I've not looked at the newest legal challenges, in here yet but will do later)

Yes, I can see that in red in the sign but can only assume that it was either overlooked or forgotten once in the gym (sigh).

desjazz

I have an update on this...

I reached out to Galliard a couple of days ago, sending the same message that I'd sent to PureGym. I was planning to come here today to get more guidance on next steps but to my surprise, they sent a reply stating that they have cancelled the fine,

"Good morning xxxxxx [Redacted],

Thank you for getting in touch.

Apologies for the slight delay in response, I wanted to see what we could do first before responding.

I’m pleased to say that our team have spoken with the car park operator, and they have agreed to remove the fine.

I will pass on your feedback regarding signage – I have not been to the site personally so I’m unsure on how visible the signage is, but I’m happy to share your comments on this.

Warm wishes,
xxxx xxxxx [Redacted]
The Galliard Team"

I'm just happy it's sorted and saves me further effort. Thanks, @Gr1pr for your guidance here, it made all the difference. I will look at the newbies section to see if there's anywhere I can donate to help all in here continue the good work.

Nellymoser

🥳 well done for pursuing PLAN A, it achieved the perfect result.

Gr1pr

Well done for carrying on with plan A, just a shame that Galliard believe it to be a fine,  which it isnt 

Happy Crimbo

Coupon-mad

Nicely done!