Car Parks...

Honest John Back Room » Legal matters
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Sat 14 Jul 2012 14:07
Car Parks... - at6077

This is probably not the place for this but here goes:

I help operate a large site that specialises in room rental i.e. hiring out space for private events such as weddings etc.

We are lucky enough to have a 400 space car park so that parking is never a problem for guests.

However we operate a Sunday car boot and this is the only time the general public are allowed in (i.e. they aren't people on a guest list etc for said private events.)

Now we have a couple of snags basically due to a small minority of drivers NOT parking in the parking bays, in fact we have caught them parking to the side of the main parking trunk road (out of pure lazyness). We also have an issue with people parking in the disabled bays without displaying blue badges etc. This tends to be wealthier folks in general we have noticed, or seemingly wealthy since it's allways the Mercedes benz or BMW driver we end up telling off.

We know that we can't clamp people as the law is about to change. What can we do? We simply want an effective way that will stop drivers parking where they are not supposed to which will in turn stop myself and the other staff being harrased by other irate visitors

any suggestions most welcome!

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Sat 14 Jul 2012 21:30
Car Parks... - daveyjp
As you operate it provide plenty of signage and staff to manage the parking of vehicles and the issue will go away.
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Sun 15 Jul 2012 10:13
Car Parks... - ifithelps

The scam ticket companies are not popular on here, but that doesn't stop you using one of them.

www.ukparkingcontrol.com/

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Sun 15 Jul 2012 10:48
Car Parks... - Collos25

Cone an area of for residends use and if anybody misuses it shoot them.

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Sun 15 Jul 2012 11:38
Car Parks... - Bromptonaut

There's probably a bit of a vacuum here at the moment because of the new law banning clamping. Not sure a date has been announced yet for commencement of the relevant bits of the Protection of Freedoms Act. 2012 (PFA). Last betting I heard was October. Until then you're free to clamp - just need good signage.

When the PFA does come into effect it will close the opportunity for motorists to play fast/loose over who was driving; the keeper is liable. It will also fix the contractual penalty which you can levy on those ignoring at the amount stated on the signage. There are however rules to come on signage etc and I don't know where DfT are on promulgating those and laying the regs before parliament. If you get into discussion with an enforcemet company frame your discussions around the post PFA regime.

As regards the disabled bays is it worth installing posts?. The keys can either be issued to the drivers able bodied passenger or he can phone or toot to get a staff member to unlock it for him.

There's also nothing to stop you prinitng your own 'Parking Charge Notices'. There are likely to be templates somewhere out in cyberspace.

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Sun 15 Jul 2012 12:26
Car Parks... - Armitage Shanks {p}

How right you are!

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/Penalty%20Charge%20Notice%20Example_tcm2-45026.pdf

I am not sure why, in this case, A council would be isuing Penalty Charges and not Parkling charges?

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Sun 15 Jul 2012 13:52
Car Parks... - Bromptonaut

How right you are!

http://www.doncaster.gov.uk/Images/Penalty%20Charge%20Notice%20Example_tcm2-45026.pdf

I am not sure why, in this case, A council would be isuing Penalty Charges and not Parkling charges?

Council's have legal power to impose penalties. Somebody took the issue to court on Magna Carta/Bill of Rights grounds but lost.

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Sun 15 Jul 2012 16:05
Car Parks... - Armitage Shanks {p}

Sorry - blatant typo! Concils normaly issue Penalty Notices and scammimg supermarkets and othe chancers issue Parking Notices

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Mon 16 Jul 2012 13:17
Car Parks... - concrete
The suggestion about fold down bollards is a good one. This solved a similar problem where my wife works. A 'phone call or toot and someone can unlock it for deliveries, visitors etc. As for the parking on the roadside, I think you may need a couple of attendants for this. Not the usual aggresive jobsworths who could start a fight in an empty house, but simply someone to point out the access road needs to be kept clear for general safety and access for any emergency services. 99.9% of people are simply thoughtless and are quite happy to comply with a reasonable request, the other 0.1% just bar them from your site in future. A printed leaflet handed out over the next few weeks announcing the changes would be useful too. Good luck and let us know how you get on. Cheers Concrete
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Tue 17 Jul 2012 00:54
Car Parks... - bathtub tom

Block them in with a vehicle parked tightly behind them and a note giving a 'phone number?

Make sure whoever removes the blocking vehicle's built like a brick outhouse!

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Tue 17 Jul 2012 09:38
Car Parks... - RT

Block them in with a vehicle parked tightly behind them and a note giving a 'phone number?

Make sure whoever removes the blocking vehicle's built like a brick outhouse!

But not any vehicle showing a Blue Badge - that's a specific offence whether on the highway or private land.

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Fri 20 Jul 2012 21:15
Car Parks... - at6077

thank you all for your replies. We aren't trying to be a***s with the drivers unlike other private car park operators. We just feel it isn't much to ask drivers to park where they should...sigh....

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Tue 24 Jul 2012 17:31
Car Parks... - concrete
Unfortunately we do not have a society like Germany or Scandinavia whose citizens tend to obey the rules. You have to get use to the idea that in GB we have a fair sprinkling of the thoughtless, the moronic and the selfish and these are the ones you have to legislate for in any system. This small but persistent group take up a disproportionate amout of time and effort to keep them from taking advantage, either by ignorance or design, and spoiling the system for everyone else. So get your helpers to concentrate on keeping this group in check and things should run smoothly. Cheers Concrete
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