Parking company UKCPS condemned by Newark Northgate Retail Park shoppers who received fines
A company enforcing fines at Newark’s Northgate Retail Park has been condemned by shoppers.
The Advertiser was contacted by several people after its story in which businesses opposite the retail park vented their frustration at being excluded from the free three-hour parking.
Donna B’s owner Donna Broadley said businesses were taking a big hit now people were being fined by UKCPS for parking, doing some shopping, and then walking elsewhere.
The restrictions have been introduced since the opening of the new Marks and Spencer Foodhall at the nearby Maltings Retail Park.
Gemma Gillard contacted the Advertiser after receiving a fine.
“I received a fine through the post and I’m left wondering how on earth I’m going to pay it,” she said.
“Despite not receiving previous correspondence from them, it said they had written to me previously and because I haven’t responded, I have lost my right to appeal and now have to pay £100 in 14 days.
“Not being allowed to appeal feels completely unjust. I didn’t even know I had done anything wrong when I parked.”
Gemma parked at Pets At Home to take her dog to the vets because her pet gets anxious if she parks at Minster Vets but, on leaving the surgery, bought some bits from Pets at Home.
“I had no idea the vets is on a different estate, it is literally behind Homebase and I was a customer at Pets At Home,” she said.
“This feels completely unfair. I will never shop on that retail park again.”
Denise Bach has boycotted UKCPS after she got a fine when she parked in the carpark to have a coffee with a friend at neighbouring Warwick Brewery.
“I thought staying within Northgate Retail Park included going to Warwick Brewery café,” she said.
“UKCPS must be making a mint. I will not be parking there any more.”
Helena Pierce has been parking in the retail carpark for years and did not see the new notice boards on the day she was fined.
“I was issued with a £60 fine last month and it came as a shock,” she said. “I found the retail park convenient as it meant I could park up, walk into town, shop, etc, then return and buy anything I needed from the retail park.
“I do find the fact that shoppers aren’t allowed to physically leave the carpark very Big Brother and it has certainly put me off parking there. The shops will lose trade.”
Another shopper Rebecca Curt, was fined after parking in a disabled bay, due to a lack of parent spaces, as she rushed into Boots to get medicine for her sick son.
She said: “The parking attendant could quite clearly see I was struggling with my three-year-old son in floods of tears as he’s not well, didn’t care and told me to expect a fine in due course.
“I wouldn’t mind if I’d been parked there for hours but I was five minutes, I wasn’t illegally parked or causing an obstruction — I simply needed medicine for my son.”
A man who parked outside a bay in another UKCPS-controlled carpark — at Beacon Hill Retail Park — but claims to have corrected it immediately, also received a fine.
Craig Porter said: “I got a fine from the same company that operate at The Range/Topps Tiles for parking out of the bay.
“It was pointed out to me so I corrected it straight away, all within seconds of me getting out of my vehicle. The man taking photos was nice and chatted about it — no problem I thought. Three days later the fine came through the door.
“What people don’t realise is that they are invoices and not fines. You don’t have to pay them if you go the correct way about it.
“They are a company who use bully tactics to scare people into paying.
"Mine went up to a potential £270 and after four months of back and forth with letters, emails and stress, it was finally cancelled as the next step would’ve gone to court."
UKCPS has again been contacted for comment.
