A Bristol woman has been fined four times for parking in a disabled bay at Hengrove Park Leisure Centre, despite being told by staff that she is permitted to use it. The penalty notices, each for £100 or £60 if paid within 28 days, were issued by Smart Parking Ltd, which the centre employed to introduce a new automated car park system based on number plate recognition in October.
The disabled driver, who asked only to be named as Gemma, reached out to Bristol Live following another parking complaint at the same location. She said that as a member of the centre for nearly a year and a blue badge holder, she was given plenty of notice that the new system was being introduced.
She says Hengrove Park Leisure Centre (HPLC) reached out to her to add her registration details to a list of regular blue badge users, so she wouldn’t need to validate her car every time she takes her children to their weekly swimming lesson.
