A landlord in Swindon which has recently introduced a new parking system says it has experienced initial 'teething problems' - resulting in fines of £100.

BizSpace Swindon car park, on Cheney Manor Road, is used by a number of local businesses and has always provided free parking to the customers visiting them.

But in April 2024 BizSpace brought in a new ANPR system requiring customers to submit their registration numbers on a screen, in an attempt to stop other non-paying businesses from benefitting from the car park.

Despite clear signs around the site informing customers of this change, multiple car park users say they have received fines because they didn't realise they had to 'sign in' their car.

One fine, which has been seen by the Swindon Advertiser, saw a paying customer asked to fork out £100 for her mistake after parking at the site for an hour and 35 minutes.

ANPR technology works by cameras registering a vehicle's number plate on arrival.ANPR technology works by cameras registering a vehicle's number plate on arrival. (Image: Getty Images)

The motorist was informed that they had “failed to obtain a permit in accordance with the notified terms".

“It’s definitely an ongoing challenge," said a spokesperson for BizSpace, which owns the car park.

“The cameras have only been in use for probably about four months and I think a lot of the initial problems are just teething problems.

“They were put in because the site is for our customers only and we had a problem previously where other businesses were parking on site.

“There are a lot of signs in the car park letting people know about the new system and the retail sites who benefit from the car park help reinforce that.

"But customers using the site before the cameras were installed forget and so it’s a change of habit."

The car park is used by a number of Bizspace's tenants and their customersThe car park is used by a number of Bizspace's tenants and their customers (Image: Google Maps)

The BizSpace spokesperson explained that when it's brought to their attention that a customer has forgotten to enter their registration number and been fined, the company works to revoke and cancel those fines.

But BizSpace has urged customers to first read the signs and check when parking to avoid this situation happening.

“The initial teething problems seem to be easing and we get very few of our customers fined now so it’s vastly improved," added the company.

“But if someone is in this situation, they should go contact the company they were visiting and let them know.

"We will then work to do what we can to help."