B & M Bargains is the latest private parking ground to impose penalties for wayward motorists.
B & M joins Tesco and Ruthin Décor in using private parking management companies to "police" their car parks.
The Co-op, however, has withdrawn from its scheme, the spring. There inflexibility was causing a loss in trade and the Co-op staff, sympathetic to those who parked there for things like funerals, could not over-ride the system. Perhaps that explains why the number of cars therein parked seems to have crept up, in recent months.
B & M's car park is, of course, rather small. People who park there and wander off site block spaces for other customers. To date, there's been nothing to stop them. Now, however, if a motorist is caught walking away from B & M they face a £90 fine. There's no time limit—just leaving the shop and car park is enough to generate a penalty, if observed. This, presumably, means it's possible to park at B & M all day, provided you don't leave the store and its car park.
Here's the state of play regarding car parks in private ownership:
Note the "no return" limit is generally one hour. This means you can potentially be fined for coming back for something you've forgotten. Ruthin Décor's is a staggering three hours. How often have you gotten halfway through a project and realised you've forgotten some masking tape... and need to return? It's happened to me.
The Co-op, however, has withdrawn from its scheme, the spring. There inflexibility was causing a loss in trade and the Co-op staff, sympathetic to those who parked there for things like funerals, could not over-ride the system. Perhaps that explains why the number of cars therein parked seems to have crept up, in recent months.
B & M's car park is, of course, rather small. People who park there and wander off site block spaces for other customers. To date, there's been nothing to stop them. Now, however, if a motorist is caught walking away from B & M they face a £90 fine. There's no time limit—just leaving the shop and car park is enough to generate a penalty, if observed. This, presumably, means it's possible to park at B & M all day, provided you don't leave the store and its car park.
Here's the state of play regarding car parks in private ownership:
