Beware! Anyone who stays at the Morrisons car park in Mill Street for more than two hours from Wednesday 22nd December will be hit by an £80 charge.
From tomorrow, anyone who has stayed on the car park for more than two hours will receive a Parking Charge Notice directly from Parking Eye, a Chorley-based company that operates parking schemes for businesses across the country.
The charge is £40, which jumps to £80 if not paid within 14 days.
Stone general manager Paul Allen says the new system – which replaces the barrier – is designed to stamp out abuse of the car park by drivers who are staying all day, leaving genuine shoppers fighting for spaces at peak times.
He said today: “This is designed to protect our genuine customers and to make sure they have a space to park when they come to shop at Morrisons.” He added that the new system would put an end to the queuing to enter and leave the car park that the old barrier system produced.
Parking Eye has proved controversial in many parts of the country – just put the name into Google for a flavour. A spokesman for the company said: “As a private parking operator, Parking Eye is a member of the British Parking Association and the Approved Operator Scheme and is fully compliant with the industry Code of Practice. Our practices and materials have all been properly vetted and approved.”
What do you think? Why not post a comment below?
16 comments
John
Try looking at
https://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?88-Parking-Traffic-Offences
put PPC into their search box [Private Parking Company]
Ted Pick
I am not saying Dan Roberts is necessarily such a motorist. But his comments are such as one might expect from one of the growingf breed who feel they have a divine right to park wherever,whenever and however they wish,regardless of inconvenience to others. Supermarkets provide car parks for THEIR customers. Morrisons are generous in allowing two hours without charge, which is ample time to walk round Stone. They are right to take action when selfish motorists park all day.
Dan Roberts
Ted – I certainly don’t believe that motorists should
park anywhere. My post highlights 2 points:
1. Private parking firms have little if no legal clout
and often rely on scare tactics to get the money.
Do you think that is acceptable?
2: If morrisons are so concerned with parking why
not pressure stone into making all parking charges
the same there fore making only location an
advantage? Surely paying a company to do this
dirty work is bad business and isn’t solving the
problem. If all parking in stone had the same rules
and regs then I don’t see how this wouldn’t help.
Morrisons could always offer money off shopping.
I will admit though that I am a growing breed of
motorist who is fed up with being the cash cow of
the uk.
I hate bad driving and poor parking as much as
anyone but I cannot condone companies
pretending to be the law and using scare tactics to
make money.
Ted Pick
Dan,
Glad we agree on most things including being fed up as a motorist with being a cash cow.
Morrisons have not chosen the best route, but have an absolute right to control their own parking in any way they choose. And
I have no sympathy with anyone who is levied with a charge for parking on private property (or for speeding etc), providing they have ignored a clear warning notice. Much as we would like free parking everywhere, with growing congestion it is totally impractical.
jamie7victor
Thanks for the comment Ted. And Dan too 🙂 Morrisons’ decision to go with Parking Eye has certainly divided opinion…
Dan Roberts
A couple of pieces of advice; go here:
https://forums.pepipoo.com/index.php?showtopic=51193
And view Watchdog. If anyone gets a ticket from these clowns just ignore it.
Secondly if you’ve got a predictive search on google type in “parking eye”. The first three options after “parking eye” are “scam” and “watchdog” and “complaints”. Hmmm.
Whats wrong with the supermarket just accepting that people use the car park to shop in all of Stone and become part of the solution rather than adding to the problem.
Andy Mabbett
@Rosa: There are no “fines”. Neither Morrisons nor their agents have the authority to impose them.
Rosa Jackson
Andy, according to ‘Parking Eye’ people staying on the car park over two hours will receive a Parking Charge of £40, increasing to £80 if not paid within 14 days
Andy Mabbett
@Rosa: Indeed: “a charge”, not “a fine”. As to whether that’s a legitimate charge, see the website cited in my first comment.
Rosa Jackson
Andy, will do thanks
Rosa Jackson
A good idea removing the barrier and imposing fines for those going over the 2 hours – I’m all for it. Can rarely get a parking space whatever day or time I go.
jamie7victor
Hi Rosa. I know what you’re saying. The car park has been abused by a lot of people for a long time now so you can’t blame Morrisons for trying to do something about it. Thanks for the comment
Neil Harrison
https://whatastate.org.uk/car-parking-penalties
This is a good read. Know your rights 🙂
jamie7victor
Thanks Neil and Andy – great minds think alike eh? Link is really useful and I think everyone who shops at Morrisons should have a look
Andy Mabbett
The best advice seems to be that at https://whatastate.org.uk/car-parking-penalties – note that the number of people who report following that advice and subsequently being taken to court (or losing credit ratings or similar scares) is zero.