SOLIHULL residents have hit out at a retail park after confusing parking times have lead to hundreds of fines.
Sears Retail Park and neighbouring Solihull Retail Park both have signs around the car park saying the maximum time is three hours.
However parking website, Parkopedia, says both car parks are two hours, and residents have had parking fines for staying longer than two hours, and for leaving the site when they haven’t.
The confusion has been made worse, by different parking companies owning different areas of the park.
Driver David Perry has had numerous problems with the site, and has written to Meriden and Solihull East MP Saquib Bhatti.
He said in a letter: “There is absolutely no signage or evidence describing ‘the site’.
“No information to inform the shoppers which areas or zones to park in.
“Most normal, intelligent and law abiding shoppers would naturally assume that the Retail Park ‘site’ includes the whole area covering all the shops and therefore, which section you correctly park in should not matter.
“However, this is wrong, and happens to be the main point of this misunderstanding.”
Solihull Retail Park and Sears Retail Park have their own entrance and exit, and drivers have to come in one entrance and leave in the same entrance to register on the ANPR cameras.
However, drivers can move from one site to the other, without going past the ANPR cameras, which means they have been fined for overstaying.
A spokesperson for Solihull Retail Park said: “We are pleased to be able to offer free parking for their visitors. Parking restrictions include a maximum stay of three hours at the retail park with a 10-minute grace period, as well as a non-return policy of 1.5 hours.
“These restrictions are clearly posted on signage across the car park and featured on the website, https://solihullretailpark.co.uk/contact#carPark&Facilities.
“The car park is controlled by Automatic Plate Recognition cameras and/or parking assistants, and failure to meet the restrictions may result in a Parking Charge notice.”
The Sears Car park runs the same operation, also in cooperation with Group Nexus, the Observer contacted them for comment and are awaiting a response.
