Three minutes in empty car park costs man £100
A MAN who stopped for three minutes in an entirely empty car park was given a £100 parking charge notice (PCN.)
Richy Deane, 49, stopped to get money from an ATM at Ely Valley Road Shopping Centre, Talbot Green, on his way to an early morning shift as a cleaning supervisor.
The car park at the row of shops was totally empty when Mr Deane entered at 5.57am on Saturday, October 5, before parking across two ‘permit parking’ bays for a matter of minutes.
This is what led to the fine being issued according to the car park management company, New Generation Parking Management, which said the way Mr Deane parked broke its terms and conditions “regardless of the time.”
After taking cash out, Mr Deane returned to his car and left the car park within five minutes.
“They (New Generation Parking Management) sent me a parking notice for not parking in a marked bay.
“I was there less than three minutes and, as you can see, the car park was empty and I was not obstructing anyone else from parking.
“I felt more safe withdrawing cash in the dark, parked somewhere I could jump straight out of the car, get my cash and drive straight off,” he said.
A parking enforcement camera caught Mr Deane, who is from Clydach, parked across the bays and he received a PCN in the post five days later.
He intends to appeal the fine but has not done so at time of writing.
A spokesperson for New Generation Parking Management said: “It is important to understand the reason why this car park is a managed area.
“It is to ensure that spaces are made available on a regular basis for customers using the facilities in the surrounding area, that is achieved by encouraging a regular turnover of spaces.
“As you will appreciate from the images you have seen, the driver in question parked in a manner which contravened the terms and conditions stated on the signage.
“Had the driver parked within the confines of a valid marked bay they would have not received a PCN.
“However, we appreciate that common sense must be used in exceptional circumstances and while we would still deem this Parking Charge Notice to be valid and legal, we do understand that the automated system does not take into consideration how full the car park is.
“The terms and conditions on site are valid 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so we must reiterate that the way in which the driver has parked still contravenes these terms regardless of the time.”
The company also said that if Mr Deane paid within 14 days, the cost would be reduced to £60, and said he had the right to appeal the fine.