A parking firm has responded to criticism from a dad who was hit with a £100 parking fine, later increased to £170, after he popped into Marks and Spencer.
Tim Coates parked his car at the M&S in the Peel Centre in Stockport on June 22 this year, not suspecting any issues. He later discovered that he had breached Ocean Parking's regulations.
One tyre on the white line
The company stipulates that vehicles must be entirely within the white lines of the parking bay. A photograph taken when the fine was issued shows Mr Coates' tyre touching the white line. Mr Coates was issued a £100 penalty, which he appealed.
He said: "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", reports the Manchester Evening News.
Appeal dismissed and debt collector letter
His appeal was later dismissed, but Mr Coates claims he never received notification of this until a letter from a debt collector arrived. He alleges this meant he missed the chance to either settle the fine before it rose to £170 or lodge a further appeal.
Responding to the criticism, a spokesperson for Ocean Parking stated: "We can confirm that the PCN was issued at the Peel Centre, Stockport, on June 22, 2026 for the vehicle not being parked wholly within a marked bay. The motorist appealed on July 1 and our records show that the appeal outcome was emailed to them on July 3."
"When they subsequently contacted us on August 10 stating they had not received the outcome, we provided a further copy on August 11. The PCN was passed to debt recovery on August 14 after no further correspondence or payment was received."
Opportunity for further appeal
"When the motorist contacted us again on September 2 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."
In response to a complaint lodged with the International Parking Community (IPC), a DVLA-accredited trade association, they stated that the evidence suggested Mr Coates had been informed via email on July 3 that his appeal had been dismissed and Ocean Parking claimed they 'did not receive any notification that the email had failed to send or was undeliverable'.
The IPC said they had not seen any evidence to suggest that Ocean Parking had failed to issue the notice or provide information. They stated there had been no breaches of any code of practice in the handling of the fine. Marks and Spencer chose not to comment.
