Middlesbrough Foodbank Hit with £500 in Parking Fines for Minor Overstays
A foodbank in Middlesbrough has been slapped with £500 worth of parking tickets after volunteers overstayed by just minutes while picking up essential donations from Tesco. The charity, which has used a drop-off zone at the Parkway Shopping Centre for years, was fined five times in eight weeks by newly installed parking cameras, with one penalty issued for overstaying by a mere 51 seconds.
Charity Leader Vows to Fight 'Ridiculous' Fines
Tracey Godfrey-Harrison, project manager at Middlesbrough Foodbank, expressed outrage at the fines, stating, 'I'm going to fight this every step of the way. We're not going to take it lying down. I just think it's ridiculous.' She highlighted the severe impact on the charity's resources, noting that £500 represents a quarter of their monthly shopping bill for groceries, money that could have fed vulnerable individuals in the community.
Ms Godfrey-Harrison explained that volunteers typically need around 15 minutes to load donations onto their van, as they must navigate trolleys to the storefront, but they do not linger or shop. The van used by the foodbank is too large for regular parking bays, forcing them to use the drop-off area. Despite appeals, one fine has already been rejected by UK Parking Control (UKPC), the contractor hired by the shopping centre.
Parking Enforcement and Community Backlash
The fines were issued by UKPC, which stated in a letter that the charges were correctly imposed because the vehicle was parked in a drop-off point. However, the foodbank argued that the enforcement was overly harsh, especially during a cost-of-living crisis. Ms Godfrey-Harrison added, 'Fines aren’t very helpful at all. People are already struggling... without these fines coming through the post and raising people's anxiety levels.'
After intervention by the Daily Mail, the Parkway Shopping Centre acknowledged the issue and agreed to cancel the tickets. A spokesperson said, 'We recognise the important and valued work the foodbank does for the community... We will gladly contact the car park management company to request that the tickets are cancelled.' They also pledged to work with the charity on a better arrangement for future collections to avoid unauthorised access to service areas.
Broader Context of Foodbank Crisis
This incident underscores the growing pressures on foodbanks across the UK. Between April 2024 and March 2025, foodbanks distributed 2.9 million emergency food parcels, equating to one parcel every 11 seconds—a 51% increase from five years ago, according to Hart Foodbank. Middlesbrough Foodbank alone has assisted over 40,000 people in the past three years, highlighting its critical role in the community.
Tesco, which does not own the car park, expressed support for the foodbank and has taken steps to prevent future fines by logging the charity's van details. A Tesco spokesperson said, 'We are really sorry to hear about this... and have reached out to the shopping centre management about the existing tickets.' The foodbank has confirmed that all tickets have now been cancelled following the media inquiry.
This case raises questions about parking enforcement policies and their impact on charitable organisations during times of economic hardship.
