Parking is putting people off visiting

I was disgusted to read that a pensioner at Meadowhall Retail Park had received a car parking fine (It's daylight Robbery, May 20).
Meadowhall Retail ParkMeadowhall Retail Park
Meadowhall Retail Park

The person was clearly both eating and shopping at the Retail Park – a combination it encourages – and yet ironically not enough allowed time is given to customers who do this and so they end up with a fine.

Added to the reasons not to fine them, they had even moved their car.

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Parking fines are meant to stop the misuse of car parks and other parking areas.

However, in this case, and many others, it sounds like it is there to generate revenue. This may not be illegal but it is certainly immoral. It is also a false economy, as in the long run, it just stops people wanting to shop there and to spend time using all that the Retail Park has to offer – hence why the writer says that in future they will go elsewhere.

This isn’t dissimilar to what is happening in Hunter’s Bar in Sheffield.

Ecclesall Road does not allow parking between 4pm and 6.30pm, forcing people who are eating and shopping at that time, onto the side roads.

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Fair enough – the bus lane is needed. But why do the meters on those side roads then have to charge all the way until 8.30pm?

I had a recent nasty experience due to that excessive time extension which wasn’t there a few years ago. I recently went to meet someone around 6pm and, not being able to park on the main road, I parked on Dover Road, duly paying the parking charge for two hours to take me up to 8pm, not realising that I had to pay all the way until 8.30pm. I received a ticket from the parking enforcement officer at 8.25pm. Like the writer of your letter, I didn’t appeal and paid up, though I could ill afford it. I realise it was my fault but why do the parking meters have to run up to 8.30pm, on the side roads? That is excessive.

We aren’t Hampstead or Chelsea. This is Sheffield and it’s putting people off visiting us and using all our city has to offer.

Nearly every friend who has visited me has accidentally ended up with a parking fine because the time limits of our parking meters, and city centre car parks trying to squeeze a bit more extra money out of those visiting the cinema and theatre at night, are so tight and mean. I have stopped using the city centre cinemas as a result.

I presume it is Sheffield City Council who set these times and rates when it doesn’t involve a private retail park?

Time to change it.

Louise Wilcockson

Graham Road, Sheffield, S10