A dad-of-two has told of his frustration after receiving a £100 parking charge notice after taking his children for an afternoon out at a local play centre. Craig Court, from North Hill, parked at the notorious Parc Tawe Retail Park in Swansea on September 6 whilst he and his children enjoyed some quality family time at the Ninja Warrior Adventure Park there.
A week later, Mr Court was shocked to receive a letter in the post from owners of the carpark, Swansea-based Eternity Fire and Security Ltd, stating that he had a "contravention" and must pay a £100 charge within 28 days, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
The letter, which contained two photos of his vehicle, stated Mr Court's Ford Focus was "not parked correctly within the markings of a bay or space".
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Mr Court told WalesOnline there was a large 4x4 vehicle parked in the opposite space with its rear "sticking out" so he was "unable to park further in" at the time. Unfortunately, this other vehicle is not shown in the parking firm's photos.
Initially, Mr Court was considering appealing the parking charge notice and took to a Swansea community group on Facebook for advice. Some motorists said they too had been received parking charge notices from the owners of Parc Tawe and advised Mr Court to pay the fine immediately, so he'd only be charged the lower amount, whilst others suggested Mr Court should appeal the charge as all four of the vehicle's wheels are in the parking bay.
"I was considering appealing as my wheels are not fully out of the lines - .some people have given some good advice. At the end of the day, I was only taking my kids to Ninja Warrior - so using their facilities [the Parc Tawe carpark] - now [I] feel penalised for it."
Mr Court has since returned to the car park to re-read the signage. He admits the sign does say that motorists "need to be wholly in the lines".
"I have paid as I don't feel an appeal would help in any way, just drag the situation out further. I have never been fined there before, I am usually quite strict in where I park and how I park. Turned out to be an expensive day!"
The car park at Parc Tawe Retail Park has got something of a reputation among Swansea residents, due to the number of people who have received parking charge notices there. Its owners have changed hands several times, but motorists continue to be stung by the strict parking rules For a reminder of the latest car park rules at Parc Tawe, read our previous article here.
Asked what his advice is for anyone parking at Parc Tawe, Mr Court said he'd advise motorists to be wary of the rules and to allow plenty of time to return to their vehicles after visiting nearby businesses. "I paid on time [so I'd only have to pay the lower amount]. I would say: be extremely cautious parking there; ensure to leave plenty of time when leaving as there is only one exit and two entrances leading to long waiting times in the build up of traffic at peak times."
WalesOnline has contacted Eternity Fire and Security Ltd for information on its parking rules and what it will issue parking charges notices for at Parc Tawe Retail Park in Swansea.
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