Stanborough lake visitors claim they are being ripped off by parking meter

Multiple local residents have brought up these issues at various times. Locals have claimed that the parking meter does not work and reportedly neither does having a blue badge. According to residents, the only part of it that seems to work are the cameras that record licence plates going in and out.

Residents are soon after charged with a fine they did not expect to receive and are left in distress when they do not have any way of disputing the fines, as the email of the private parking company is not recognised and the phone numbers are not answered to the point of a full answering machine.

One resident that used to frequently visit the park, Paul Martin, went to Stanborough Lakes with his wife Kerry, for a nice day out, away from chemotherapy treatments.

Kerry has been fighting cancer for about two years now and has had nearly 70 chemotherapy treatments at UCH Macmillan Cancer Care Centre in Euston.

Paul said: “We have been isolating for most of this time and when she is well enough, we go for a walk, if possible. On the day we visited the lakes, we followed their instructions and registered the blue badge for free parking.

“We sat watching the boats, a pleasant distraction from the hospital and the effects of chemotherapy.

“A week or so later we get a ticket. We tried contacting the company to see what had gone wrong, but it was the wrong email address, and the answering machine was full, so we have written a recorded delivery letter.”

This parking fine has taken a huge toll on Paul and Kerry’s mental health as it has become an added-on issue from the chemotherapy and Paul’s brother passing away a few weeks earlier.

“We are suffering an enormous amount of stress and this has compounded that stress. We are law-abiding people and try to do everything the right way, but we can’t stand injustice. I have made a post on Facebook, only to be swamped with people experiencing the same parking problems at the lakes.

“We will never go there again. I personally have lived in the area for 40 years but have never been subjected to this sort of experience. I am not the only one,” Paul stated.

Through Facebook comments from a post made about the issues he has been facing at Stanborough, Paul noticed that his concerns were not an isolated incident, and multiple people have been feeling the same way and have been through similar experiences at the lakes.

After being inundated with messages and realising how many people it had affected, Paul became hopeful for a deeper investigation into the matter, and decided to contact Rip Off Britain, a BBC One series that exposes Britain’s rip-offs and helps consumers.

Through Facebook comments from his post, Paul has seen that this is not an isolated incident. (Image: Paul Martin)

“This has been a continuing problem that has made a lovely area a no go place for so many people that should be enjoying the outdoor space.” (Image: Paul Martin)

Paul explained that: “People fighting cancer only have a limited amount of energy, so dealing with this parking fine that has been incorrectly issued is using up that energy much needed to fight the cancer.

“This has been a continuing problem that has made a lovely area a no go place for so many people that should be enjoying the outdoor space.”

A private company, GLL manages Stanborough Park on Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council's behalf and this includes the car park area.

A spokesperson for GLL said: “The pay and display machines at Stanborough Park car parks have been working correctly. We have signage in our car parks to help visitors use the machines and staff are positioned nearby to offer help and advice if needed.

"Blue Badge holders should register their details online or by telephoning our recorded system on 0208 418 9445 – the voicemail box is emptied several times a day. If anyone has a query about a charge, they should email info@geminiparkingsolutions.com so we can look into it for them.

"This summer has been busier than ever at Stanborough Park leading to some people having to wait longer than we would have liked for their queries to be resolved.

"We would like to apologise to any customers that have not had their queries responded to promptly and assure them that any incorrectly issued Penalty Charge Notices are cancelled.”