Newark bed centre boss refuses to take parking fines lying down

A company director says he is finding it hard to run his business because he keeps being issued with parking tickets he believes are unfair.

Mr Lachlan Cameron, of Cartergate Bed Centre, Newark, says he has received three tickets on St Mark’s Service Road, behind his store, when he has been parked for loading and unloading.

Mr Cameron challenged all three tickets. One has been rescinded, one challenge was not accepted, and a decision is pending on the other.

He loads and unloads from St Mark’s Service Road, where there are double yellow lines to stop vehicles parking.

In the most recent case, where his challenge was turned down, Mr Cameron said his vehicle was parked in the service yard for five minutes for unloading before he moved it.

He said he returned two hours later to unload further items, only to be ticketed by a warden who had seen the vehicle there earlier.

“We unloaded in the morning and then came back two hours later but because the warden saw it there both times he assumed the vehicle had been there the whole time,” Mr Cameron said.

“I put that in my letter when I challenged the ticket, but they upheld the fine.”

Mr Cameron said the problems he was having with parking and loading and unloading made it hard for him to run his business.

“We don’t want to load or unload at the front of the shop because it gives people a better chance of stealing from the vehicle,” he said.

“We are loading or unloading for only five minutes at the most. We are carrying heavy beds and big wardrobes.

“It’s crazy that we are getting parking tickets for that.

“We have to be given access and a certain amount of time to load and unload.”

Mr Ian Harrison, Newark and Sherwood District Council’s business manager for markets and carparking, said: “The St Mark’s Service Road is a busy and vital access to service all shops and it is essential that congestion is managed in that area.

“Without going into the detail of each case, I would advise Mr Cameron to appeal to the Nottinghamshire Car Parking Unit with details, including invoices, delivery notes, delivery schedules etc, to support his plea that he was carrying out loading and unloading associated with his business.

“If Mr Cameron contacts me I will see whether, and to what extent, we can give him short period dispensations to load and unload there at the rear of his premises.

“It is always a difficult balance to prevent congestion and help sustain the access to all businesses in the town centre by enforcement and also act in a fair and reasonable way that again will not impinge in the livelihood of businesses.”