‘Absurd’ parking policy ditched.

New policy will allow people to park for up to two hours and leave the site without penalty

An unpopular parking policy that resulted in shoppers being fined for straying too far from their cars has been ditched.

The rule was introduced at part of the St Catherine’s Retail Park in Perth last year, leaving unwary drivers facing £100 penalties for walking out of the car park – even if they went just a few yards to use a cashpoint in another part of the same precinct.

Site attendants were tasked with gathering evidence against motorists by taking photos of them leaving the site.

Leeds-based Moorgarth, which manages the site stretching from Wickes to Tile Giant, revealed it would be axing the scheme later this month.

In correspondence seen by The Courier, the company’s head of facilities Christian Dalby said: “We implemented the current enforcement after complaints from our occupiers that people were parking and walking into town to continue shopping.

“On occasion, these vehicles were parked for the whole day and we suspect they were commuters working in central Perth.”

The company will soon introduce number plate recognition cameras that will be “time restrictive, rather than location specific”.

Mr Dalby said: “As a result, customers of our retail park can enjoy two hours of free parking.

“This will be irrespective of whether this time is wholly or partly spent on the retail park.”

Perth and North Perthshire MP Pete Wishart welcomed Moorgarth’s “change of heart”.

He said: “Their ‘no walking off site’ arrangements were totally unacceptable and led to a large number of complaints from customers being fined for parking in one part of St Catherine’s retail park and using services in other parts.”

The SNP MP added: “What was worse was that privacy was being compromised by car park attendants photographing customers and their vehicles to prove this ‘crime’.”

Mr Wishart, who has been leading a campaign against private parking companies following complaints about the Kinnoull Street car park, said: “Everywhere in Perthshire, private car park operators and owners of private sites are beginning to feel the heat from customers furious at being ripped off.”

A Westminster private parking bill, which Mr Wishart has backed, will soon move to the committee stage as a new code of conduct is thrashed out.

“As this continues to progress, I hope we will see more of these sorts of improvements,” he said.

“It is best that those involved in charging for parking on private land amend their practices voluntarily rather than having it forced on them through legislation.”

It is best that those involved in charging for parking on private land amend their practices voluntarily rather than having it forced on them through legislation. PETE WISHART MP

Picture: Kris Miller. The policy of fining people for parking and then leaving the site is to be amended.