Car park makes changes after criticism over fines

Martin Leighton said he previously received a parking charge notice for entering the private land for only 70 seconds

A car park in Nottinghamshire criticised for issuing "heavy-handed" fines has made changes to its payment system in an effort to build goodwill with motorists.

The privately-owned car park in Broad Oak Drive, Stapleford, is operated by the parking company UKPS.

It previously charged for parking via a pre-paid permit system, which was criticised after one driver was fined after he stopped there to vomit and another drove on to it without parking to drop off his sister.

UKPS has now introduced a "pay and stay" payment system, which works like pay and display but uses an online payment system instead of issuing tickets from a machine.

A spokesperson for UKPS said: "We believe this adjustment restores access, rebuilds goodwill, and offers greater flexibility for everyone who needs to park in the area."

The signage went up a few weeks ago, with social media users sceptical over whether it was real or fake

Motorist Dave Knight previously told the BBC he had been fined £100 for stopping in the car park to be sick after stomach surgery, which gave him acid reflux.

Another driver, Martin Leighton, started flagging down cars on their way into the car park and posted videos on social media to warn other drivers after he was fined for driving on to the car park for 70 seconds to drop off his sister and perform a U-turn.

Both motorists said they were unaware that only drivers with a permit were allowed to use the car park and claimed the signs warning motorists broke the rules as they were not "visible from a distance".

UKPS denied their allegation, but said it had now decided to introduce a pay and stay system instead after it listened to feedback from the local community..

Mr Leighton said he welcomed the decision.

The car park is operated with automatic number plate recognition cameras

"I think they've obviously listened to what people have been angry about... they've done something about it which I can respect them for," he said.

"The prices are not that extreme either really, they're quite reasonable and they fit in with every other car park pretty much that I know."

However, Mr Leighton said the operator would have to stop issuing charges to those who entered the land accidentally to start rebuilding goodwill.

He also said he was concerned that the pay and stay option required the use of the internet and a mobile phone, which could limit accessibility for older people.

UKPS said it remained "committed to being responsive, transparent, and community-focused".

"Thank you once again to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts - we value your input and are proud to act on it," the company added.