Drivers who received parking fines at Northgate Retail Park in Newark in error urged to pursue refund as some receive bailiff letters

Vehicle owners who received fines issued in error for parking at a Newark retail park need to get in touch with the managing agent to have those fines rescinded, the company says.

The message comes as some of those affected have received letters from bailiffs instructing them to pay £170 or else.

An issue arose following an investigation by the Advertiser that revealed a breakdown in communication between managing agent Banks Long and Co of Lincoln and parking enforcers UKCPS.

The company admitted people had been fined unnecessarily for more than a month because an instruction to support local businesses in difficult trading conditions was not acted upon by UKCPS — which was employed by Banks to enforce fines on its behalf.

Banks Long changed the restrictions from only permitting stays at the park to allowing people a three-hour free stay, which allowed them to walk off-site to shop elsewhere, but UKCPS did not change the signs.

A company that promised to refund parking fines issued at a Newark retail park has gone silent.

Banks Long & Co made the pledge over fines handed to drivers at Northgate Retail Park because it realised it was having an adverse affect on businesses in the area.

The Advertiser was inundated with complaints, mostly from people fined for leaving the retail park on foot.

Banks Long promised to investigate and issue refunds where applicable.

However, the Advertiser continued to receive calls and emails from people yet to have their tickets rescinded, some of whom had received letters from bailiffs.

After several attempts to contact Banks Long, the company finally took the Advertiser's call and said that all of the complaints received had been dealt with.

This, however, only amounted to four while dozens of fines are believed to have been issued in error. Some of those four have been refunded.

Banks Long encouraged anyone who believed they were issued a fine in error to get in contact as a complaint needs to be lodged and investigated. Ignoring the issue will simply mean that the legal process continues and costs escalate. There is no review of all tickets issued for the period and some fines may have been correctly issued.

Some complainants, however, say they have made contact and are being ignored.

If people wish us to review their parking ticket they should send a copy of the ticket to management@bankslong.com and confirm the basis of their appeal.

Sarah Pettefar, associate director at Banks Long, said:​ "Copy tickets should be provided to us no later than the August 19. We will not review any tickets submitted after this date.

"We do not guarantee to cancel the tickets. We review them with UKCPS and a decision is reached following that review. The ticket holder is informed by UKCPS of the decision.

"I can confirm that we have had four people contact us in connection with their tickets to date. These have been reviewed and the ticket holders informed of the outcome of that review."

Banks Long previously said it would refund all fines issued from April 1 to people who had specifically been penalised for going off-site.