Lincoln villagers to dig up Medieval history after lottery grant win

Lincolnshire Trading Standards said it can’t tackle complaints from drivers who received incorrect fines at Lincoln’s Tritton Road Retail Park, where Curry’s, HomeSense and Pets at Home are based.

It comes after The Lincolnite put the spotlight again on dodgy fines at the retail park, where people were charged £100 for allegedly leaving the premises — but they had receipts to prove they shopped there during that time.

The car park is operated by UKPC, who have so far failed to respond to all our media requests, and many other frustrated motorists reported difficulties in trying to get hold of the firm.

With UKPC unreachable, and more people coming forward with similar issues, The Lincolnite challenged the parking warden on site to explain the situation, but he said he was “not allowed to comment”.

Then, The Lincolnite contacted Lincolnshire Trading Standards, who said does it not have the power to deal with a complaint where a customer, for example, is saying they didn’t leave the site, despite what a parking charge is claiming.

Instead, Trading Standards say this should go through the appeals process on the ticket with the car park operator, and then to POPLA (Parking on Private Land Appeals), which is a private dispute resolution company set up and funded by the British Parking Association (BPA) — and UKPC is a member.

However, if a parking company ever failed to display its terms and conditions correctly, or its terms and conditions were deemed unfair, then Trading Standards would be allowed to get involved.

So POPLA is the service that people should use if they’ve received a ticket, appealed, and then had their appeal rejected. And if people had their charge cancelled, but want to complain about the way the company is operating, this should be referred to the BPA.

UKPC Ltd’s signage at the Tritton Road Retail Park. A sticker was visibly placed over the no parking hours last year. | Photo: The Lincolnite

If you are fined, it is advised not to automatically pay it straight away, according to MoneySavingExpert.

Jackie Reid’s parking charge (left) and a receipt proving she purchased items at Home Bargains (right) at the Tritton Road Retail Park.

The BPA did not address the issues with the incorrect fines in Lincoln put forward to them, but instead said in a statement: “We understand that no-one likes getting a parking ticket and around 80% of motorists don’t.

“Parking operators can’t always know all the circumstances at the time a ticket is issued, and some tickets are cancelled when additional information comes to light.

“If you receive a ticket you believe is unfair or has been issued in error, contact the operator who issued it to appeal in writing providing any evidence.

“If an appeal is rejected, the operator will provide details of the independent appeals service for BPA members, POPLA, which provides independent redress for motorists in England.

“We investigate potential breaches of our Code of Practice which the public can submit via our online portal.”

The Lincolnite also contacted POPLA and is awaiting a response. We asked the ombudsman service how many complaints and appeals had been received so far this year relating to the car park at the Tritton Road Retail Park operated by UKPC, and of those how many were successful.

Robert Goddard’s designer clothing shop will open on the first floor of the former Waterstone’s building in Lincoln’s Cornhill Quarter in spring 2022.

The Lincoln shop will offer a range of big designer brands including Ted Baker, Hugo Boss, Barbour, Tommy Hilfiger.

It will sell menswear, womenswear, and a new range of kidswear called ‘Robert Goddard Junior’, which includes Barbour, Napapijri, Calvin Klein and Polo Ralph Lauren for children aged 6-14.

A Superdry franchise store opened in the ground floor of the building on October 16, creating 10 new jobs.

Superdry and Robert Goddard are moving into Lincoln’s Cornhill Quarter. | Photo: Daniel Jaines for The Lincolnite

Robert Goddard’s seventh shop in the East of England will join Superdry in the building next year, creating around eight new jobs

This comes after Waterstone’s closed its Cornhill premises earlier this year to focus on its sister site on the High Street.

Superdry and Robert Goddard are not the first fashion retailers to join the Cornhill after Phase 8, Whistles and Hobbs moved in last year.

Following the completion of the £21 million Lincoln Medical School Building in March 2021, there has never been a better time for local students to pursue a career in medicine. 

The UTC sixth form provides a specialist curriculum, in partnership with the University of Lincoln, which builds the foundation for medical and biomedical degree courses. 

Kirsty Hickling, Head of Science at Lincoln UTC, said: “The global response to the COVID-19 pandemic was led by experts in medicine, highlighting the importance of encouraging this career path in our younger generation. 

“The Lincoln Medical School was established in 2018 with the aim of improving recruitment of doctors locally. The close connections between Lincoln UTC and the University of Lincoln provide our students with opportunities to build their subject knowledge and skills within state of the art laboratories, clinical and anatomy suites. This experience is invaluable for students aspiring to pursue a career in medicine.” 

Year 13 UTC student, Edward Pitts-Drake, is currently applying to study Paramedic Science at the University of Lincoln next year. 

Edward said: “I joined the UTC in 2018 because I was already focused on studying medicine in future. In August 2020 I achieved a combination of 8s and 9s in my GCSEs, and I am now completing A Levels in chemistry, physics, biology, and maths. 

“Studying at the UTC has given me the confidence to put my scientific knowledge into practice by volunteering with St John’s Ambulance Service. Alongside opportunities to visit the University laboratories, this experience has been vital in ensuring that my application stands out.”

Year 11 students can apply now to join the UTC sixth form next September. For more information visit www.lincolnutc.co.uk, email [email protected] or call 01522 775990.