Dozens of drivers have been issued £100 fines at an 18-space car park in Talbot Green after its rules were changed to stop people leaving the immediate area. The Ely Valley Road car park, managed by New Generation Parking Management, has long been used by visitors running errands, dropping off or collecting children at Tonysguboriau Primary School, and visiting businesses at the adjoining shopping centre.
In recent weeks, drivers using the site for only a few minutes have been penalised after the rules were seemingly updated to sanction anyone who leaves the shopping centre land and car park. Previously, one side of the car park was marked as customer-only for on-site shops, while the other had a general 30-minute policy allowing motorists to use nearby businesses such as JPJ Dance School, Bradleys Coffee, and Filco within the half-hour limit.
Impact on local businesses and parents
Jane Prentice-Jenkins, owner and director of JCJ Dance Studios, said the car park has traditionally been used by parents dropping off and collecting children, especially in the evenings and on Saturday mornings when nearby shops are closed. "Obviously it's safer for the teenage students that are here later in the evening for their parents to park nice and close to pick them up safely. Generally pick-ups take between five and 10 minutes and do not impact the businesses that sit within the boundary," she said.
Ms Prentice-Jenkins said parents had received charges despite being there for only minutes. "Lots of our customers have been fined for five minutes, 12 minutes," she said. "We've got in excess 30 people fined within the first week of coming back to class [in September]."
Operator defends restrictions
A spokesman for New Generation Parking Management said: "The car park is situated on private land and is provided specifically for customers who are actively using the businesses located within the shopping centre. Customer-only parking has formed part of the terms and conditions at this location for many years. The purpose of these restrictions is to ensure that the limited parking available remains available for genuine customers of the businesses operating from the site rather than vehicles being left within the car park while drivers visit premises elsewhere."
Ms Prentice-Jenkins claimed operators "didn't put up a sign to explain that there were changes until September 17". She added: "It's really having a massive impact on us and it's going to have an impact on the safety of the children coming to and from the studio." Parents have been told they will not be fined if the driver remains in the vehicle, but she said this could force children to cross Ely Valley Road alone, which she fears "is just going to cause an accident".
Local concerns and MP involvement
She also claimed the restrictions were pushing vehicles into surrounding residential streets, creating congestion. Dai's Shop, in the shopping centre, posted on Facebook on September 17: "So, now you can get fined for parking in the carp ark but not using any shops in the precinct. What is the world coming to?" They said they were "trying to help but our hands are tied" and that they get "very little communication from the car park company".
Local resident Margaret Lloyd said there was "a woeful lack of parking for the amount of businesses around Talbot Green". Another car park user, who wished to remain anonymous, described receiving a charge after visiting the Jobcentre when their appointment ran late. The row has attracted the attention of Alex Davies-Jones MP, who said she had "received a number of complaints from residents" and had written to the company to raise concerns.
The operator's spokesman said management and enforcement "form part of our contractual agreement with our client", and that signage is fully compliant with International Parking Community standards. They added that motorists can challenge charges through a formal appeals process, and that "New Generation Parking Management Ltd does not issue parking charges simply because somebody has been observed crossing Ely Valley Road".
