Shoppers raise concerns over £100 parking fines at Newark's Northgate retail park
Shoppers are being warned not to leave a retail park to shop elsewhere once parked up, or they could be fined.
Jody and Amanda Bett — co-owners of The Coffee Chain at Warwick Brewery on Northgate, Newark, — said they had seen a notable rise in customers being fined for parking in Northgate Retail Park and then leaving on foot to go elsewhere.
The Coffee Chain is between Northgate Retail Park and the Maltings Retail Park, home of the new Marks and Spencer Foodhall.
Jody said: “There are two attendants patrolling the retail carpark watching to see if people leave its boundaries.
“There are no tickets issued on windscreens, it’s been since March 14 so fines are just starting to come through for our customers.
“I’m not sure what will happen with M&S opening as we were hoping for a natural flow of customers between us all.
“This is going to have a considerable effect on our business as the whole shopping experience will now change.”
Signs at the Northgate Retail Park state vehicles may park for a maximum of three hours and that those drivers must remain on site throughout.
There is a separate carpark at the front of Warwick Brewery for customers wanting to use The Coffee Chain and other businesses there, including Arena Health and Fitness and The Beautique.
Another business owner who fears she will see a downturn in footfall as a result is Donna Broadley, of Donna B’s Tasty Bites, on Currie Road opposite Northgate Retail Park.
“I’ve been here for 17 years and they’ve started to put double yellows outside the shop so none of my customers can park,” she said.
“Because they can’t park outside the shop they are going to Northgate Retail Park to park and walking over — then finding out they’ve been fined £100.
“The café and gym over the road and Chapples Autos are fuming, and I’m not happy at all — even if I get a permit, not all of my customers will be able to park.”
Donna added her daughter was fined £100 for leaving the retail park, and that she only gets paid just over £130 each week.
She said: “Since M&S came, the fines have been thrown up but we have always been associated with the retail park. It’s bad enough having Greggs, Costa and M&S down the road but now I’m not going to have any footfall.”
The Advertiser has tried to contact the owners of the retail park.
