The manager of Co-op Royton has issued a statement on fines being handed out to customers parking in electric vehicle charging bays that are not yet operational.
In a lengthy post published on Facebook, manager Darren Ramsden addressed the “frustration”, particularly for customers who “are only stopping briefly or when visibility of new signage may be limited at night”.
The statement said: “The car park is no longer under store control and is now directly managed by the London-based landlord, who has installed ANPR monitoring and is operating the parking area independently.
“The recent enforcement, including tickets issued for parking in the electric charging bays, is a result of these new measures introduced by the landowner.
“While the electric charging points are not yet operational, they are currently marked and monitored under the landlord’s parking terms and conditions.”
Mr Ramsden went on to explain that previously, store management was able to help with cancelling parking fine requests in “exceptional circumstances”, but this was no longer possible due to a change in “management arrangement”.
He added: “This has left both customers and store colleagues without the level of support we were previously able to provide.”
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Mr Ramsden said in the post that he was “actively raising these concerns and doing everything within my remit to seek clarity and resolution".
The post concluded: “I am genuinely sorry for the inconvenience and frustration this situation has caused.
“However, I would respectfully ask that any dissatisfaction is directed appropriately. The store team works incredibly hard to support our community, including many elderly and neurodiverse customers who rely on the convenience and accessibility of shopping with us.
“This matter is outside of the store’s control, but please be assured it is not being ignored. Thank you for your patience and understanding while this is being addressed.”
There is currently no information on when the EV charging bays will be up and running.
The post has attracted more than 175 comments from residents in the Royton Community Hub group.
Margaret Carole Miller said: “It's such a shame, very little parking on their car park in the first place. I do think it will deter people from shopping there though with even less parking.”
Anne Whiteman said: “As a Co -op customer and member, it seems such a short- sighted initiative to limit parking for customers, in an already tight car park and I'm sure this will have an adverse affect on customer's shopping habits.”
The Oldham Times initially contacted Horizon Parking about the management of the car park, however, the company informed the paper that as of February 6, it is now under the control of UKPC.
For anyone who has been issued a fine by Horizon Parking, details of how to appeal are provided on the reverse of the Parking Charge, as well as instructions on how to appeal.
UKPC have been contacted for comment.
Co-op has also been contacted for comment.
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