Littlehampton residents’ anger over parking fines

Six parking bays, in New Road, Littlehampton, were lost when the new Lidl store was built earlier this year, though a condition to replace these spaces, on a like-for-like basis, was written into the superstore’s planning permission.

However, people living in the street, who have used the six bays at the front of the store earmarked for them overnight, have been hit with £90 fines by ANPR, the private company that controls parking at the store.

Arun District councillor for the area, Ian Buckland, said: “The residents feel that they are being targeted by this company.” He added that as the spaces were provided on a “like-for-like basis”, they were unrestricted from 6pm to 8am, with a 90-minute, free-parking limit outside those times.

He said: “I was looking at a ticket issued by ANPR and the times state 5.45 in and 7.54 out.

“Yes, the residents have been told the times for their free unrestricted parking, but Lidl’s operating signage states that you have up to one-and-a-half hours’ free car parking.”

Though individual residents were unhappy to reveal how many of the parking fines they had been issued, about five had more than 10 between them, and have so far refused to pay.

Mr Buckland continued: “On the same issue, how are the residents supposed to park in the said parking bays, when customers park in them? When the residents return home they cannot park in the spaces because they are full, so where are they meant to park?”

A spokeswoman for Lidl said that the six parking bays at the entrance to the car park had been marked with appropriate signage, and were unrestricted between 6pm and 8am, as per the requirements of the planning permission.

“However, we have checked our records and have discovered that two parking tickets were incorrectly issued.

“These tickets have now been cancelled and we are reviewing our car park management system to ensure this does not occur again,” she added.