Home Bargains sorry for drivers charged £100 on unmarked road

Thorneyholme Terrace in Stanley does not have any markings or signs of parking restrictions

A retailer has apologised after drivers were hit with Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) for parking on an unmarked road.

Bill Burgess, 68, was landed with a £100 PCN after parking on Thorneyholme Terrace in Stanley, County Durham.

The road is owned by Home Bargains and leads to a car park it operates, but drivers say there is nothing to suggest there are parking restrictions.

The company admitted its signage was "insufficient" and said affected drivers would be refunded.

Mr Burgess, from Stanley, received the charge after he parked on the road to attend an Easter church service in 2022.

He only discovered there were restrictions when the demand for payment from Parking Eye, who enforce the PCNs, arrived in the post.

'Ridiculous'

Mr Burgess, who had to pay £100 as his appeal was rejected, said he was aware "a lot of people have been caught out".

He said: "I didn't realise that it was owned by Home Bargains. There's no road marks and signs so you assume it's a public road like a lot of other people have. It's ridiculous.

"It is in between the car park and the police station and that road has always been there, so people have assumed it's public."

The road is owned by Home Bargains and forms part of its car park

Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras monitor drivers as they enter and leave the complex.

Thorneyholme Terrace is also covered by the cameras but does not feature any double-yellow lines or warning signs.

Paul Herdman, from Shotley Bridge, is challenging a charge his wife incurred when she parked on the road while attending a nearby school last month.

He said it is "totally unmarked" and drivers were being confused by the fact double-yellow lines stop before the entrance to the road.

'Installing new signage'

Home Bargains said it intended to "clarify" that restrictions were in place.

The road belongs to the retailer but not the pavement, meaning it has been unable to place signs on lamp posts.

It is understood that double-yellow lines may form part of the new measures.

The pavement outside Stanley police station is not owned by the retailer so there are no signs on the lamp posts

A Home Bargains spokesperson acknowledged that the signage on Thorneyholme Terrace was insufficient.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused our customers. We are installing new signage in the coming weeks," they said.

Anyone who has received a PCN for parking on the road is advised to contact customer services for a refund.

Parking Eye was approached for comment.