PARENTS getting their Christmas gifts at a popular shopping centre have been warned about a costly error after one driver was fined.
Harry Hall was slapped with a £60 penalty but complained of a lack of proper signage alerting him to the charge.
Harry, from Humberston, Lincolnshire, was visiting Meadowhall shopping centre in Sheffield, Yorkshire, with his wife Lisa and their granddaughter on October 25 when he ran afoul of parking rules.
When the family returned to their car, they found a penalty notice had been slapped onto the windscreen, much to their shock.
Harry then discovered that it was for failing to register his car in the parent and child bay, which users have had to do since September.
He told the Grimsby Telegraph: “When I opened [the fine] I couldn’t believe it. I’d parked legally and nothing else was wrong, I was so confused.
“When you’re with children and you think you know how the parking works, you’re not going to look at the signs.
“Besides, there are loads of different signs saying different things, I wouldn’t know where to look.”
Harry was also stunned to find out that he could have avoided having to pay by registering his car retrospectively, even after he received the fine.
However, he felt that this was not made clear and that the charge was unfair.
He added: “I think Meadowhall have got the right idea for sure, I just think it needs to be made more obvious and clear.
“With it coming to Christmas, I wouldn’t want other people to get a ticket for the same reason we did.”
Fortunately for Harry, Meadowhall has agreed to cover the cost of the ticket as a gesture of goodwill.
The centre’s director, Darren Pearce, explained: “We want Meadowhall to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone, and understand how important Parent & Child parking spaces are to help with that experience when visiting with young children.
“After receiving feedback from parents and guardians, we introduced the permit scheme to ensure they are free for visitors who need them.
“It’s quick and simple to register for a free permit and we’re really pleased parents have welcomed the change.”
He also claimed that the new system had been widely publicised in September, including via an advertising campaign locally.
A spokesperson for Minster Baywatch Parking, who issued the fine, hit back at Harry’s claims, saying that there are over 500 signs at the site and that the parking conditions were “clearly” stated.
They went on: “These signs outline that to park in the parent and child bays motorists must be an authorised user, by registering their vehicle at the highlighted locations within the Meadowhall Shopping Centre.
“The signage informs of the locations where you should register to use Parent and Child bays.”
It comes after it was revealed that a housing development could be scrapped in favour of building a 24-hour EV charging hub.
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