That parking isn't free?

[toparkforfreeorforfee]

Our local leisure centre has recently extended its car park so there are more spaces. The new area isn't tarmacked like the rest of the car park but has gravel down the 'road' part and the spaces are grass, marked with stones. There aren't any signs in this part of the car park (but plenty in the main bit), but you can only access it from the main car park

Here's the debate - a few people seem to have decided this new bit is free and have therefore been getting fined which they aren't happy about.... their argument being that there aren't any signs and it looks different. Others think this is ridiculous as it's quite clearly part of the car park and therefore comes under the main rules.

I'm in the second camp and tend to park in the new bit a lot as the spaces and 'road' bit are wider and it's always quiet, so much easier when I'm grappling the kids. I always pay. What prompted this thread is that I was there the other day and a chap came up to me while I was loading the buggy into the car ranting about his fine... he didnt seem happy when I just shrugged said 'well of course it's not free' and stormed off to take photos.

I can't draw for toffee, so google map screenshot is below - white arrows point to the entry and exit points of the car park from the road, orange dots are the entry/exit points to the new bit, yellow star is the new parking area.

Aibu to think it's obvious parking is definitely not free here?

I agree with you @toparkforfreeorforfee. If it was free everyone would be parking there!

why do you care so much? lot of time on your hands?

Why have you read and responded to this thread? lots of time on your hands?

I think the sort of road between the two bits of car park here are what’s misleading, as from a quick look it does look like two bits of land separated by a road, and therefore any sign you see on entering the first car park is irrelevant when you cross the second road onto the other bit of land.

BUT that might be less of a thing when you’re driving it and if I didn’t pay on the new bit I think I’d know I was chancing it with an appeal.

To PPs point though, our local town has both free and paid for car parks so it’s unheard of that there would be a free car park next to a paid for leisure centre car park.

Yes actually I do at the moment. I don't care that much, just find it interesting the assumptions people have made and wondered what others think.

Well, it is a bit shit that it's not free for users of the leisure centre, assuming they are also paying to use the leisure centre facilities. They should have a system whereby you pay to park but this is refundable against your leisure centre tickets, or parking is included in the ticket if you buy via their app. I know it's not the point of your thread, but people are getting pissed off about being milked for money at every single turn, so it doesn't surprise me folk are getting irked at this.

The LC can easily solve this with a couple of extra signs.

@CryMyEyesVioletthere's no road bit between the two - I think that's poor placement of the star on my part

This tbh!
Cheeky of them to make people pay at all! Where do you live OP? I've lived in a few different places in the uk and have always had a few hours free parking in the local leisure centre, perhaps I've been lucky!

@AmethystAnnotationI agree tbh, but I can see why they don't - the centre is a 5 minute walk from the train station so you could have someone booking a pool session (for example) and not using it or something to get free parking and leaving the car there all day to go to work. Plus there are a couple of playgrounds and a library so not everything there costs money. I guess it's easier to have a blanket everyone pays.

Exactly this. FFS.

It's so one can feel superior about one's specialist knowledge on car parks.

It's an extension of the existing carpark, therefore you would assume that the same rules apply.
If it had a different entrance and demarcation between the two sections, then yes you could assume it was a different carpark.

They're just trying it on. Why would they have some parking that’s free and some that needs to be paid for? I would just ignore anyone moaning.

I think if there are no signs at all you can contest the fine so I'm on the fence. The centre needs to get signs up.

Why do you bother coming on to post that? You must also have plenty of time on your hands if all you have to do is be unpleasant and snarky.

OP if say given that it's accessed via the normal carpark, yes it would be obvious you need to pay.

So many dickheads on here.

We have a single car park which is owned by different companies with two different sets of rules about how long you can park for free. Needs very clear signage if it’s different once you’ve driven past the signs at the entrance so I’m with you OP.

Our leisure centre is also near the town centre. Used to be that they validated parking inside, now you can park for three hours for free and seems ok.

Should the leisure centre refund me my bus ticket too? Or give me a refund if I've walked there?

You have to PAY to park at your local leisure centre?? 😧 Christ.

We have three local ones that are council owned, one of them is within the grounds of a large park and credit to the council, they don’t charge for the car park and it’s perfectly fine to use it for the park as well. No monitoring.

No… the same way they don’t pay you for your fuel or wear and tear to drive there 🙄 you clearly think you have a very clever point here, but you don’t. It’s poor form for a paid-for facility to also charge you extra just to park.

If that many people are getting confused it would suggest the signage doesn't give the clarity it is required to.

But equally, why should they store your car for free? They have to purchase and maintain the land for a car park, that comes with costs.

To act as an incentive to use the leisure centre. It’s quite normal.
Ours is council run, but leisure centre users enter their car reg in the centre and get 3 free hours.

There was athrrad recently about swimming... one of the barriers mentioned was cost of bus fares to actually get children to lessons.

Using the sane principle, refund of bus fares would also be an incentive to use the leisure centre. (And encourage people to use the bus instead of creating traffic)

We're in a market town in the south east, I don't really mind paying as the facility itself is great with two playgrounds, skate park, outdoor gym, library, soft play, swimming pool and splash pad, gym, exercise classes, sports courts, spa, climbing wall, clip and climb, cafe and a hall which can be hired.