Why some confused drivers paid to park in Harborough council car parks on Saturday – despite the fact that it was free

Some confused drivers paid to park in Harborough council car parks on Saturday (December 5) – despite the fact that it was free.

The council is offering free parking at its sites across Harborough on a Saturday in the run-up to Christmas in a bid to fire up custom for shops and businesses struggling amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

But some motorists didn’t realise on Saturday that they did not have to fork out to park as usual.

Cllr Phil Knowles, who leads the Liberal Democrats on the authority, said: “There were definite cases of confusion.

“I parked up near Sainsbury’s on Saturday and shoppers told me that they weren’t sure what to do.

“Some were paying for tickets when they didn’t need to.”

He stressed: “The council’s at fault here.

“They should have put up big signs at entrances to car parks telling people they didn’t have to shell out – it’s just sheer common sense.

“They should have also put up smaller A4-sized notices on every ticket machine telling drivers the same thing.

“It’s a real shame this has happened.

“Our shopkeepers and traders need all the help they can get at the minute without this sort of breakdown happening.”

Cllr Phil King, the leader of Harborough council, admitted: “It’s fair to say that this was down to human error.

“The appropriate signs were not up advising the public and we apologise for that.

“This matter is now being dealt with internally.

“I can understand that some people were annoyed about it.

“Anyone who did pay inadvertently to park will be able to claim a refund from the council and get their money back.”

A Harborough council spokesman said: “It is important to us that we are able to offer free parking on Saturdays in the run-up to Christmas in our car parks to help local businesses and encourage people to shop locally.

“Unfortunately, the appropriate signage was not in place prior to the start of this initiative on Saturday due to human error.

“We sincerely apologise for this.

“The signs will be going up this week to make people aware of the free parking.”

He added: “Anyone who purchased a pay and display ticket on Saturday (5 Dec), when they should have parked for free, can apply for a refund by emailing [email protected] or by calling 01858 828282 if they do not have access to email.

“We’d also like to remind car park users that they need to get a ticket from the pay & display machine, by pressing the green button, to park for free on Saturdays, but do not have to enter their vehicle registration number.”