A driver has complained over a Huddersfield retail park which closes its car park – before all the shops are shut.
Builder Richard Cliffe, 61, was stunned to receive a £100 fine through the post for staying too late at the Ringway Centre off Beck Road.
The car park shuts at 9pm but one of the stores, discount supermarket Aldi, doesn’t close until 10pm.
And when Mr Cliffe visited for late-night shopping on December 22, he also popped into Matalan which stayed open until 9pm in the run-up to Christmas.
Mr Cliffe, of Scapegoat Hill, left the car park at 9.23pm – and was hit with a fine notice by car park operator UK Parking Control Ltd.
A sign at the retail park says: “Strictly no parking between 21:00 and 07:00.”
Mr Cliffe said he couldn’t believe he had been fined and added: “How can a car park at a retail park close at 9pm when the shops are still open?
“Aldi stays open until 10pm every night and Matalan was open until 9pm and I went into both.
“The fine documents I received showed I arrived at 8.40pm and left at 9.23pm. The fine is £100 or £60 if paid within 14 days.”
Mr Cliffe said he intended to appeal and went to Aldi to complain. Staff on the customer services desk took copies of his paperwork and promised to get the fine cancelled.
The Examiner understands UK Parking Control had only recently taken over the car park and the operating times will be changed.
Aldi failed to respond before the Examiner’s deadline but promised a statement later.
An Aldi spokesperson said: “The parking fine was issued automatically by the car parking operator. We notified them as soon as we were made aware of
the situation and the fine has now been cancelled.”
