VISITORS to a Darlington retail park have been warned of a £100 bill after new parking restrictions were introduced in its car park.
People with vehicles to North Retail Park, off North Road, now have just one hour 30 minutes until their stay at the car park expires.
And motorists face a £100 parking charge notice if they do not adhere to the new rules.
New signs, signalling the new restrictions, have been erected in the car park.
Parking is only permitted between 5am and 11:30pm with no entry allowed at other times.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras have been installed at the car park while officers on foot with also patrol the car park.
Motorists can be fined if they overstay the time limit, do not park in the marked bays or fail to show disabled badges when parked in the appropriate bays.
The retail park houses an Aldi, Iceland, Poundland, Greggs, KFC, Subway, Barnardo's and Jollyes pet store.
A notice on one of the new signs reads: “The parking charge is £100 per day or part day payable within 28 days of the parking charge issue date.”
"Parking wholly within the lines of a single marked bay," it adds. "Strictly no parking out of parked bays."
However, on social media, residents have raised concerns over new parking charges in car parks throughout the town, saying it will deter shoppers from using town centre businesses.
One person said people will struggle to visit all the shops in the retail park within the time limit. They said: "It will definitely put me off for shopping there.
"By the time I shop round Aldi's special buys, go in to Jollyes for pet treats, and Iceland and the Pound Place, not time then to go into Kentucky or the sandwich shop waiting in line for a sarnie to be made or Greggs for that matter- 90 minutes would soon be gone.
"All these ANPR scammer companies need closing down- they will just drive away custom from those shops especially as people get caught out - and they will - and face fines just for shopping!
"It's probably not the idea of the shops but more likely the landowner of the car parking area to make him/them even richer! Needs a boycott of those shops to get this idea reversed!"
Another added: "This is very silly timing considering the range of outlets here. If they are wanting to do this it should be at least 2 hours, possibly 3 if eating. Many disabled people will be slower too and I see they also only have an hour and a half.
"Many times I have done my shop at Aldi's and the had a look in Poundland, Iceland and the charity shop. I don't understand who they are trying to put off as I doubt people are parking to walk to town!"
But one local defended the new decision, saying: “Probably because people park there all day and catch the train from North rd to commute to work.
"So they got free parking! Hopefully there will be more spaces now for genuine shoppers.”
Excel Parking, the parking provider at the retail park, did not respond to a request for comment.
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