A PROFESSOR has been fined after failing to pay to park in a disabled parking space – despite using a blue badge.
Philip Hodgson, 57, was visiting a restaurant with his elderly father and stepmother when he was beaten with the parking ticket.
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Philip’s 84-year-old stepmother suffers from Parkinson’s disease, while his 87-year-old father has a degenerative eye disease.
The criminology professor used his stepmother’s blue badge to park in the disabled parking lot on June 3 while visiting Trenchers restaurant in Spanish City, Whitley Bay.
The 57-year-old said he didn’t believe he had to pay to use the disabled parking as they are usually free, and was surprised to be given a £60 parking fine two weeks later.
If he fails to pay the fine from HX Car Park Management Ltd, which operates the car park, the ticket will be increased to £120.
Philip, who is also dean at Leeds Trinity University, said: “I think it’s wrong. I think it’s so unusual for a company to charge for disabled parking spaces.
“Normally you get parking spaces for disabled people for free. Do they not welcome people with disabilities or encourage disabled people to come?
“I called Spanish City and they are not bothered at all. It goes through HX Parking.
“I’m just a little disappointed. I think Spanish City is wrong.”
The parking lot in front of Spanish City in Whitley Bay was previously free to all.
However, HX Car Park Management LTD began managing the car park on March 15 after the North Tyneside Council received a construction permit.
The parking company said they had installed clear signage and a payment terminal, as well as the option to pay with RingGo.
But according to Philip, the signs on the property stating that there is no free parking were not clearly visible.
He said he had realized there was a fee that he would have paid the required fee, which he said would have been no more than £2.
“I wasn’t trying to dodge the payment, I just didn’t know,” he added.
Philip, who lives in Sheffield, received the card while visiting his father and stepmother, who lived in Monkseaton.
He said the couple had been to Spanish City before and parked in the disabled parking lot with their blue badges before.
I don’t want this to happen to anyone else… I won’t be going back
Philip Hodgson, age 57
A spokesperson for HX Car Park Management said: “There is a sign in front of the disabled parking spaces to indicate that the rate is for blue badge holders.
It also states in the “Blue Badge Rights and Responsibilities” leaflet issued by the government that blue badge holders are still required to check the signage in all car parks, especially private ones, and should not assume that they are free. can park.”
The company has urged those who do not want to pay for disabled parking to park in the nearby North Tyneside Council car park.
They said: “There is a municipal car park to the right of Spanish City Plaza that offers free parking for blue badge holders.
If they don’t want to pay to park, which is understandable, they have the option to park there. It is not uncommon for private car parks to charge a fee for disabled drivers; most do.”
Spanish City said the parking lot has been granted by a building permit from the local government and signs are visible in the parking lot and throughout the area.
A spokesperson said: “The car park at Spanish City is a private car park operated by HX Car Park Management Ltd, which uses an ANPR camera system to identify users of the car park and was installed in March 2022.
“In line with the planning permission granted by the North Tyneside Council earlier this year, there is clear signage throughout the car park (including a sign directly in front of the disabled parking spaces) stating that the parking fee applies to Blue Badge holders. “
A North Tyneside Council spokesperson added: “HX Parking is responsible for the private car park at Spanish City.
It is not the task of the Council to review the content of the signage, the rates charged or the use of the system by HX Parking. Blue badge holders can find free disabled parking spaces in the municipality’s car park on the right when entering the Spanish city.”