Car park dispute forces Billingshurst man’s ban

Norman Briant, of Copsale, said his car had been parked for nine seconds while he took a friend’s elderly relative to the Truffles shop outside Jengers Mead car park on August 27.

When he returned to his car and found a warden issuing a parking ticket, Mr Briant removed the ticket from the car and stuck it to the window.

He has since been involved in a dispute with Napier Parking, who manage the car park.

Mr Briant said: “By the time I came out (of the shop) the chap had put a ticket on the car - I took the ticket off and gave it back to him.

“It was timed at nine seconds. Their parking charge is £90 - it works out at £10 per second which I thought was a bit exorbitant.”

Mr Briant said the car was timed as being parked for nine seconds while he helped the woman into the shop.

He added that he believed the entrance to the car park itself was ‘some distance’ behind where his car was parked.

He said: “It has just been going backwards and forwards.

“They say they are not overzealous in their parking enforcement but from all the letters in the County Times about them, I would say they are extremely overzealous.

“They are not helping the shops in Jengers Mead if they ban people from entering.”

In a letter sent to Mr Briant in April, Napier’s enforcement department said: “If you do not pay you can expect a court claim to be filled against your name.

“Please will you also refrain immediately from visiting Jengers Mead in Billingshurst in the future, if you do we will consider further action against you for trespass.”

Napier Parking were approached for comment but did not respond before the County Times went to press.