Parking firm told to pay £60 fine back to shopper
STUART PIKE
THE owners of a retail park have instructed their parking provider to RESCIND a £60 fine handed to a shopper who exceeded a free parking time limit - after an intervention by the Observer.
And they are making enquiries with parking chiefs to ensure no more “genuine customers” fall foul of the three-hour free parking restriction - introduced two years ago solely to deter ‘fly-parking’.
Jacqueline Cumpstey, practice manager at a dental surgery on Blackburn Road, Accrington, got caught out after spending nearly £300 at New Hall Hey Retail Park, just off the A56, as we reported last month.
Jacqueline, 55, had spent five hours at the centre on March 10 - just before the start of lockdown for nonessential shops.
After receiving a £100 penalty charge notice she told us she “panicked” and paid early to reduce the fine to £60, but then wrote to the car parking firm in a bid to retract the payment - attaching receipts proving she was a genuine shopper.
Car park management firm Premier Park, last month told us the PCN was correctly issued, however, after we contacted the Rawtenstall site’s owners, agents Savills upheld Jacqueline’s case.
Their spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to hear of Ms Cumpstey’s ordeal and we take very seriously any concerns our customers may have. She is absolutely right that the parking restrictions were put in place to ensure the parking is used by genuine customers.
“The first time we heard of this issue was when we were in receipt of your email correspondence with our client and at no point have we received any prior communication from Ms Cumpstey.
@Had Savills received any communication we would have looked into this immediately and rescinded the fine as, based on the information you have provided, she clearly was a genuine customer.
“Our ANPR provider advises that they have now received an appeal and we have instructed in these circumstances that the fine will be repaid. Customer satisfaction is at the forefront of our ethos.”
Jacqueline said she was “delighted” with the outcome, adding: “I hope the rules will change in order to avoid this causing upset to others.”