Stansted Airport’s car park has gained a reputation as one of Britain’s trickiest traps for motorists. With only 60 minutes of free parking provided, drivers are faced with harsh enforcement to quickly incur expensive parking citations. MET Parking Services then adds insult to injury by demanding a £100 fine on top of any violation of parking terms. The impact of this fee extends beyond the airport, onto private land.
The parking facility at Stansted Airport has been split into two lots and allocated for use by different retailers. Motorists will have to do their part by making sure they register their vehicles in the proper jurisdiction to prevent penalties. This strict limit has led to a tidal wave of contentious grievances from motorists. All of them are frustrated at being hit with harsh penalties over harmless errors.
In a similar case, one driver stopped at the Southgate Park retail park, near Stansted Airport to collect his brother. Instead, they were hit with a £100 “parking charge” from MET Parking Services for their inconvenience. The driver had parked on the car park’s restricted area meant for terminals and other airport facilities. All of this occurred even though we only spent 16 minutes on-site. This mistake incurred a penalty that most people would consider unfair for the brief time of their visit.
This is the context in which the 2012 Protection of Freedoms Act begins to operate on examples such as this. The Act places liability for such breaches on the vehicle’s registered keeper if they do not disclose who was driving. This new law adds confusion and difficulty for drivers. Few are aware, though, of the blistering parking rules that take effect on private property bordering the airport.
In fact countless other motorists have come forward, reporting similar experiences after visiting Southgate Park retail park. They were getting fines even for simply pulling over to get a coffee. What makes this unique is the retail park’s proximity to Stansted Airport. This close proximity can create a perplexing situation for drivers, particularly those unfamiliar with the surrounding environment. Countless others have raised their hands in irritation after being slapped with a fine for doing something they think is a trivial offense.
Northern Ireland’s independent appeals service, Popla, has been forced to respond to this unprecedented increase in appeals. They approved only one driver’s appeal, ruling that MET Parking Services had not adequately defended the assertion that Southgate Park lies inside the boundary of Stansted Airport. This decision should shed some light on MET’s enforcement practices and more importantly, whether MET enforcement exists and functions legally.
Though we tried to get comment on their practices and policies in use at Stansted Airport, MET Parking Services never responded. This silence has led to even more speculation and alarm among drivers who regularly pass through the area. Movement and many others like them are pulling for more clear signage and improved communication from parking authorities to avoid similar situations down the line.