Sheffield shopping centre Fox Valley slashes free parking to keep spaces for ‘genuine customers’
“The majority of visits are under two hours”
A Sheffield shopping centre has halved the time visitors can park for free, to keep spaces available for ‘genuine customers’.
Fox Valley is axing four hours of free parking from Wednesday, July 1.
Instead, visitors get two hours free and anyone staying up to four hours will have to pay £3.50.
Parking all day, from 7am to 6pm, is unchanged at £7.50.
Customers can still get four hours’ free if they validate their vehicle registration and spend more than £5 at one of four eateries: Ponti’s, Zorro Lounge, The Old George and Shackletons Gallery coffee house.
The car park is monitored by cameras and failure to pay will trigger a demand for £100 from a company called Civil Enforcement Ltd.
If payment is not made within 28 days it warns of debt recovery specialists, enforcement costs, legal action and legal costs.
The Fox Valley website states the management team is not responsible for issuing tickets and directs drivers who feel they have unfairly received a charge to appeal to Civil Enforcement Ltd.
A spokesman said: “Following a detailed review of how our car park is used, we’ve found that the majority of visits are under two hours.
“These changes are designed to help keep parking readily available for genuine visitors, make short everyday trips simple and free, and support our cafés and restaurants.”