Fazeley Councillor Slams “Sloppy and Heavy Handed” Car Parking Firm

The car park management firm appointed to run the car park at Sir Robert Peel Hospital has been described as “sloppy and heavy handed” by Fazeley District Councillor Doug Pullen.

Cllr Pullen said, “I have received numerous complaints about the heavy handed approach of ParkingEye Ltd.

“A severely disabled resident, who does not wish to be named, was slapped with a £70 charge for overstaying by 2 minutes, despite the fact that the disabled bays were cordoned off by contractors for re-painting.  I intervened on the resident’s behalf and successfully had the ticket cancelled, but ParkingEye made it clear this was a one off and were certainly not apologetic.”

Some confusion arises as the signs state that visitors have 20 minutes free parking.  Another sign states that additional time can be bought, starting at 80p for 0-30 minutes.  That could leave some visitors thinking they have 50 minutes in total for 80p, which is not the case.

The firm hides behind a PO Box Address and only publish a phone number for an automated message service, making it extremely difficult to challenge a parking ticket.

Whilst their website does not publish a telephone number to reach an actual human being, ParkingEye use it to name and shame those people who have been issued Parking Charge Notices.  By deploying these sloppy and heavy-handed practices, ParkingEye Ltd are raking in fees from across the country, posting a £4.5 million pound profit last year.

Cllr Pullen added, “If you are having problems and wish to challenge a parking ticket, I would recommend calling ParkingEye on 01772 450 970 or e-mail them directly at parking@parkingeye.co.uk.”

Christopher Pincher MP and councillors from across Tamworth and Lichfield are fighting against these charges.  To add your voice, please contact either Cllr Doug Pullen at Doug.Pullen@lichfielddc.gov.uk or Christopher Pincher MP at Christopher.Pincher.Mp@parliament.uk.