Parkgate Shopping to parking fine issued to an elderly couple for staying "too long"

Gordon Maxfield (80) and his wife Victoria (81) fell foul of a new time limit rule saying shoppers staying more than five hours faced a fine.

But Gordon insisted the outcome was unfair, pointing out that he had made two separate visits — one with and one without his wife — on the same day, neither lasting more than two hours.

Gordon’s appeal was rejected by private parking firm UKCPS but after the Advertiser raised his complaint with Parkgate Shopping direct, his fine was overturned a month later.

Parkgate Shopping manager Janet Drury said: “As with every system, mistakes can be made and these will be discussed by the parking company and Parkgate Shopping management and a decision made between them.”

Gordon said he was pleased about the decision but wanted to warn other shoppers about the new rules, which were introduced in November.

Parkgate Shopping introduced a five-hour limit on parking after the introduction of the nearby Tram Train — and banned motorists from returning within two hours.

The Maxfields visited the retail park to go to M&S and Morrisons on April 4 and spent around two hours there.

Gordon said he returned to the car park later that evening — but it was more than two hours after his first visit.

Parking firm UKCPS sent Gordon a Parking Charge Notice for £60 and accused the couple of parking for five hours and 44 minutes, based on CCTV images of the car entering and leaving the facility.

The Maxfields replied that there were two separate trips but their appeal was rejected.

Gordon said: “My wife is 81 and I’m 81 in a few weeks’ time.

“We are not spring chickens — we don’t stop out that long.

“There’s no way at our age we would be out shopping for five hours.”

Gordon said UKCPS claimed to have photographs of his car entering the car park at 2.40pm and leaving at 8.24pm but said the firm would not check out his claim of having made two trips, the second of which was a brief visit to Morrisons later in the evening.

Gordon criticised UKCPS for “not being prepared to look at their own CCTV”.

Ms Drury said parking enforcement had been introduced after complaints about the abuse of disabled and parent and child spaces, as well as the arrival of the Tram Train.

Ms Drury said although Parkgate Shopping was “proud” to be involved with the Tram Train its car park was for its tenants who paid rent.

She added: “We are not a park and ride, we very generously, in my view, gave them a small area to use for Tram Train parking but that’s the only area on Parkgate Shopping you can use that’s not included in the five hours’ parking.”

Ms Drury said 50 signs had been installed to warn shoppers about the new parking time limit.