Calls for clearer payment signs for parking at Arlesey Train Station

Alison Rainbow and her husband parked station car park on the Henlow side of Arlesey train station, and called the pre-pay number to pay before they travelled to London for the day on Saturday, June 22.

She said: "My partner rang to pre pay to park at the Henlow car park, we know there had been some confusion in the past so we asked for confirmation that we were paying for the 'Henlow ' side and was assured that we were on two occasions.

"A few weeks later I got the parking charge notice and was confused and then I saw the date and realised what it was for.

"It appears we had paid for the 'Arlesey' side. The telephone conversation regarding paying for the correct side had been wiped and despite writing to Britannia and explaining, they were not interested. We also appealed to Popla who eventually declined our appeal."

The Biggleswade Chronicle covered a similar story in April last year, a commuter ended up with £800 in fines after he paid online for daily parking at 'Arlesey Railway Station', only to then leave his vehicle in a car park close by, called 'Arlesey Station'.

At the time Britannia Parking said: “As a member of the British Parking Association and the industry’s Approved Operators Scheme, we take our responsibilities very seriously and will monitor the situation in Arlesey going forward."

Alison added: "I was annoyed because it doesn't take into consideration what has happened, it is still confusing people, I read the story online about the man last year that it happened to and Britannia have made no attempt at all to make it clear for drivers.

"We made it worse for ourselves by pre-paying for the parking, we we did get the £6 we paid refunded from the Indigo car park because we did not park there.

"I think Britannia should be a bit more reasonable, see what has happened and just charge us the fee of what it was to park there on the Saturday, not just slap fines on people and then increase when they are appealed

"The fee is now £160, I have wrote a letter of complaint to the British Parking association.

"It is wrong what they are doing, they are just making money off people, the car parking signs should be more clear."

A spokesman for Britannia Parking said: “The driver concerned appears to have contacted a different operator and we are not able to comment on any advice given during that call.

“Our site has a large ‘Arlesey and Henlow Station’ sign above the entrance of the car park and clear signage that exceeds British Parking Association Standards.

“The driver also contacted POPLA, the independent appeals service for parking charge notices issued on private land, which ruled that the Parking Charge Notice (PCN) was issued correctly.”