A father says a trip to Marks & Spencer ended up costing him £170 after he was fined for parking with one tyre just “millimetres” over a white line.
Tim Coates parked at the Peel Centre in Stockport on June 22 while visiting M&S and said he “didn’t think anything of it” at the time. He later discovered he had been issued with a £100 parking charge by Ocean Parking, which rose to £170 after the case was passed to debt recovery.
Pram space needed
Mr Coates said another car had been parked next to him and he needed enough space to get a pram out. He explained: “Due to the car parked next to me, I couldn’t park any closer or I couldn’t get the pram out.
“There’s literally one tyre on the white line. They said I was obstructing someone from parking in the bay next to me. I tried to appeal it, [asking for] a common sense policy if you have got a child in the car. I needed the space.”
Ocean Parking said the charge was issued as Mr Coates' car was "not parked wholly within a marked bay". A photograph seen by Manchester Evening News reportedly showed one of the car's tyres on the white line.
Appeal timeline disputed
Mr Coates appealed the £100 charge but said he did not receive notification that his appeal had been rejected until a debt collector’s letter arrived. He claims this meant he missed the opportunity to pay the original charge before it increased to £170 or take his appeal further.
Ocean Parking has now responded to the criticism, saying its records show the outcome of Mr Coates’ appeal was emailed to him on July 3. A spokesperson said: “We can confirm that the PCN was issued at the Peel Centre, Stockport, on 22 June 2026 for the vehicle not being parked wholly within a marked bay.
“The motorist appealed on 1 July and our records show that the appeal outcome was emailed to them on 3 July. When they subsequently contacted us on 10 August stating they had not received the outcome, we provided a further copy on 11 August.
“The PCN was passed to debt recovery on 14 August after no further correspondence or payment was received. When the motorist contacted us again on 2 September regarding their opportunity to appeal to the IAS, we advised that, although the standard 28-day period had expired, they could submit a non-standard appeal.
“No further contact has been received and no appeal has been submitted to the IAS. We understand that receiving a parking charge can be frustrating, and we have sought to address the motorist’s concerns by providing copies of the relevant correspondence and explaining the options available to them.”
Trade body and MP respond
The International Parking Community, a DVLA-accredited trade association, also responded to a complaint about the case. It said the evidence suggested Mr Coates had been informed by email on July 3 that his appeal had been rejected and that Ocean Parking had not received any notification that the email had failed to send or was undeliverable.
The IPC said it had seen no evidence suggesting Ocean Parking had failed to issue the notice or provide information, and said there had been no breach of its code of practice in the handling of the charge.
Mr Coates said he wanted to raise awareness as he feared other motorists could be caught out. He said: “I could understand if I was parked over the white line and parked like a buffoon but it’s literally millimetres. It’s caused me anxiety.
“I don’t mind saying that. I am quite mentally tough but this has caused me anguish. In a world at the moment since Covid where it seems you do not get good customer service anywhere, you are treated like you are processed.
“There is no human element to this. There’s no humanity or compassion. I parked in good faith. For it to cost £170 to go into M&S is a bit unpleasant. I am really angry but I am sure there are others in Stockport like this.”
Mr Coates has also raised the issue with his local MP Navendu Mishra. Mr Mishra said: “I have raised, and will continue to raise, constituents’ concerns with Ocean Parking, which manages the Peel Centre car park. In the past, I have met with representatives from Ocean Parking to discuss issues that residents have experienced, and those discussions resulted in changes being made.
“The Peel Centre is used by tens of thousands of people, and while concerns about parking enforcement are understandably frustrating for those affected, it is not appropriate for me to comment on individual cases.”
Marks & Spencer declined to comment.
