Meadowhall Retail Park car parking megathread

[alchresearch]

but to be fair it’s worked out cheaper over the last five years to buy a home-cinema setup and projector and watch all the films we want on the “big screen” than it has been paying extortionate prices at the cinema – which at around £14 for a couple is a blatant rip-off.

 

Especially considering all the adverts and trailers they make you sit through, and the huuuuuge mark up on food.

[mj.scuba]

It annoys me that the DVLA are flogging all our data to unreputable companies.

[manaman]

I had seen this thread but had not read it because I usually only park in there for an hour at most. But this week I have also received a "Parking Charge Notice". I now have read the complete thread and agree that it is best to ignore this notice. Civil Court proceedings can't be taken without them knowing who the driver is.

 

Having looked at the images of my car entering and leaving the Retail Park, I now believe that the ANPR system used is not fit for purpose in this application. Looking from the camera angles it appears that;

 

On entry, the front number plate can only be scanned on a single car or the leading car of a queue of cars (which is the usual case for vehicles coming through the traffic lights on Attercliffe Common). It would appear that all or most of the queue (dependant on spacing) could not be scanned.

 

On exiting. the rear number plate can only be scanned on a single car or the last car in a queue. Again it would appear that all or most of the queue (dependant on spacing) could not be scanned.

 

The implications of the above observations are;

 

A large percentage of vehicles' number plates will not have been scanned (especially at peak times). Therefore with no entry and exit times, parking times cannot be established (theoretically these vehicles could park for weeks).

 

The identity of cars, at the front of queues on entry and cars at the back of queues on exit, will be known, but with only one scanned time, the length of parking time cannot be established.

 

In theory the only cars whose parking times can be established are those that were scanned on entry and exit. But this is not true in all cases. Some previous posters have received a "Parking Charge Notice" after they say that they had completed multiple visits to The Retail Park in one day or consecutive days. This is because they were scanned on entry on their first visit, but not scanned on exit on their first visit (probably at the front or middle of a queue). They were not scanned on the second entry (again in the middle of a queue or end of one), but scanned on exit (either as a single car or at the end of a queue). The scanning system matches the two scans and calculates the time interval between them. Hey Presto! more than three hours, print out "Parkng Charge Notice".

 

It appears to me that neither Meadowhall Retail Park nor G24 Ltd. would be able to establish in a Civil Court, who the driver of the offending vehicle was, and how long the offending vehicle (or for that matter, any other vehicle) was parked for in the car park.

 

The only way that I could see this ANPR system working is if vehicles are only allowed to enter and leave the car park one at a time so that ALL vehicle number plates are scanned front and back. This would require something like barriers being fitted. I'm sure these would fit in with "Your friendly shopping experience". But this alone would still not be good enough, because a driver recognition camera would be required to identify the driver to the car.

Edited February 27, 2009 by manaman

[McThew]

The whole system they use is a joke. And the landlords who own Meadowhall Retail Park are a joke for using them. The companies who rent the spaces at the Park have said they are powerless (or spineless - you chose) so we decided to hit them in their pockets. In a period of prolonged recession, it's customer such as us that have the businesses by the balls. If we vote with our feet and boycott these places for other businesses then they'll suffer even more. I certainly won't return to either with this parking firm looking after the Meadowhall Retail park.

Likewise with Centertainment who cannot manage their car parks for toffee...

[Darbees]

I had seen this thread but had not read it because I usually only park in there for an hour at most. But this week I have also received a "Parking Charge Notice". I now have read the complete thread and agree that it is best to ignore this notice. Civil Court proceedings can't be taken without them knowing who the driver is..........

 

 

 

...........The only way that I could see this ANPR system working is if vehicles are only allowed to enter and leave the car park one at a time so that ALL vehicle number plates are scanned front and back. This would require something like barriers being fitted. I'm sure these would fit in with "Your friendly shopping experience". But this alone would still not be good enough, because a driver recognition camera would be required to identify the driver to the car.

That would be far too complicated and expensive for them, all they do is emply morons who wander round the car park making note of when cars park there and putting the notices on them. If they ever took anyone to court (which they won't) they would do what beloved SCC do with tramgates and charge the vehicle keeper not necessarily the driver.

 

I had a ticket once on a vehicle which wasn't registered to me but was insured and they tracked me down through Motor Insureres Bureau. I ignored all their unenforceable threats which included seizing the vehicle and making it impossible for me to obtain a mortgage amongst other things. It's all hot air.

[mj.scuba]

I had a ticket once on a vehicle which wasn't registered to me but was insured and they tracked me down through Motor Insureres Bureau.

 

I can't believe how loose these places are being with peoples details. Places like the Motor Insurers Bureau should have no business passing on details for parking fines. I wish that "Information Commissioner" would step in to stop this crap.

 

Data protection? Its a bloody joke.

[kelly_1983]

there id definately a 3 hr rule because me and a friend parked there when we went to the cinema and we were 10 mins over the 3 hours and recieved a fine!

[nikki-red]

there id definately a 3 hr rule because me and a friend parked there when we went to the cinema and we were 10 mins over the 3 hours and recieved a fine!

 

In Meadowhall or the retail park?

[nikki-red]

Well at Xmas any meadowhall staff get fined for parking in meadowhall-we have to use the overspills even if the car parks not full!!! This is because a customer complained that staff take up all the spaces and they had to park far away from the entrance!!!

 

I once got pulled for parking in the M&S car park. I argued that Id done 99% of my Xmas shopping on my dinner breaks and that actually that very day I was buying an Xbox from Game. So if that didnt make me a customer I dont know what would. The security guard just mumbled something and walked away. Ha.

[Akademic]

A 3hr limit to do a full shop and treat the kids to a movie and eat????

 

Are they trying to drive down business?