OVER the past few months, we have reported on people getting caught out by ‘ridiculous’ car parking charges at St Michael’s Retail Park in Basingstoke.

Many of our readers have reached out on Facebook to say that they, too, have faced unexpected charges, so we’ve compiled a guide to parking at St Michael’s. 

What is causing the problem?

Parking Control Management (UK) Limited, who operate the car park located off The Harrow Way, have set a maximum stay of 30 minutes in the area near to Nando’s, Costa, and Greggs, with no return within one hour.

Extended stays can result in £100 fines, which must be paid within 28 days.

Some customers feel this is an unfair limit, particularly given extra time taken by coronavirus safety measures.

They have also pointed out that the signs state the time limit in proportionately small writing.

One resident has even refused to pay her parking fine, after accusing the company of "entrapment" when she unwittingly parked in a bay with a time-limit. The woman chose to park in the bays outside the restaurant during a visit to Nando’s, because her husband cannot walk far.

Where are these parking spaces?

Basingstoke Gazette:

The ‘short stay’ car park is a cluster of 18 parking spaces situated outside Nando’s, Costa, and Greggs.

Shoppers can park there for up to 30 minutes free of charge - so, for example, to quickly collect a takeaway.

However, exceeding the half hour limit can lead to a fine notice being posted out to you.

Costa has a sign on its door detailing this, to help remind customers on their way in.

Customers must also not return to the site within an hour, or risk facing the same fine.

What happens if I get a fine?

Notice of fines are sent to your address - but may take a few days or weeks after your visit to the retail park to arrive.

The initial charge is £100, and must be paid within 28 days.

Failure/refusal to pay can lead to the fine being increased.

In some cases, debt collectors can be asked to get involved, instructed to recover the fees.

Where can I park instead?

If you think you may want to stay at the retail park for longer than 30 minutes, it would be safer to avoid this enclave of short-stay spaces.

The rest of the car park, comprising more than 500 parking spaces, is free of charge - although situated slightly further from the eateries. 

Why didn’t I know about this until now?

Some residents have pointed out that the signs displaying this information are comparatively small, making them easy to miss.

The Gazette has contacted Parking Control Management (UK) Limited on multiple occasions to ask for its explanation of the decision and response to complaints. 

For now, the rules seem set to stay, so we hope this guide will help warn others to avoid unnecessary fines.