By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Another driver has been hit with a £100 charge by the “disgusting” parking rules at a Gloucester shopping centre.
Motorists have been falling foul of the parking restrictions at The Peel Centre in St Ann Way since they changed the rules in summer 2023.
Now the latest person to be hit with a parking charge notice (PCN)for allegedly staying 17 minutes over the three hours allowed.
Nathan Hopkins, says he has been a regular customer at the Peel Centre for the past two years, since moving to the area from Bath.
He works remotely and has been basing himself at the Costa Coffee in the Next store at least once a week most weeks.
“I had identified Costa Coffee in the Next store at The Peel Centre as an ideal place to work due to the location, good wifi and three hour stay time,” he said.
“Over the past two years I have been a customer of Costa Coffee at least once a week, most weeks and have regularly bought clothes in the
Next store and shopping at the Iceland Warehouse as well as Home Bargains.
“However, on January 9, 2025, I allegedly overstayed the three hour time limit by 17 minutes and received a parking charge notice for £60 for the privilege.
“I appealed this PCN as I respect the time limit and always time my stay with my phone alarm clock, so was very surprised to have ‘allegedly’ gone over the time limit.”
He said on the charge notice letter it was not possible to read the registration number in the exit photo.
The number plate pictured in his parking charge letter was white and not yellow as a rear plate would be, he said.
“I appealed as you cannot see a registration number in the second photo,” he said.
“The pictures they show of the registration plate is clearly the front one as it’s white, not yellow, and there is no forward facing camera on exit – only a rear facing one.
“They declined my appeal, completely ignoring anything related to camera positioning and focusing only on signage available.”
“On the PCN was a picture of my vehicle entering the centre and another picture of a similar vehicle upon exit.
“It was not possible to read the registration number in the exit picture so I used this as the basis of the appeal.
“After appealing, I promptly had a response from Ocean parking rejecting the appeal, stating that there were clearly marked signs, however totally ignoring anything to do with camera placement or the unreadable registration number. I have since paid the £100 fee in frustration.”
He said the experience has put him off returning to the Peel Centre and has not returned as a customer this year since receiving the charge.
Westgate and Hempsted Councillor Pam Tracey (C) says the practice of fining legitimate shoppers is “disgusting”.
“We need people in the city,” she said. “We don’t want to get rid of them.
“We’ve done enough on this. It’s disgusting. I thought it had come to a close. I think it’s disgraceful. I feel sorry for people being hit with these fines.”
Ocean Parking have been approached for comment. Cllr Tracey is a candidate in the upcoming County Council elections.
Other candidates standing for the Westgate and Hempsted division are Steve Gower of the Workers Party of Britain, Independent Brendon
O’Donnell, Deborah Oldham of the Green Party, Labour’s Jag Thangella, Liberal Democrat Rebecca Trimnell and Reform UK’s Joseph Woolf.
A full list of all the candidates standing on May 1 can be found here.