An American woman who was slapped with a hefty parking fine after moving to Wales during lockdown has won her two-year fight against the company which issued it. Lynnea Arnold faced having to pay an overall £269 penalty after going for a meal in Talbot Green, Rhondda Cynon Taf, back in September 2020 - shortly after the UK government eased Covid restrictions and implemented the Eat Out To Help Out scheme, aimed at breathing life back into the ailing hospitality industry.
However, a few weeks after parking in one of the bays on the town's Ely Valley Road to grab a burger with her partner and two children, the 39-year-old massage therapist from Detroit received a letter from London-based New Generation Parking Management. "It said I'd parked in a space where the maximum permitted stay is 30 minutes," said Lynnea, adding that she'd remained in the spot for just over an hour - from 7.35pm until 8.45pm.
"But it was dark, badly lit and I never saw anything other than a sign at the entrance with a big blue 'P' for 'parking' written on it." However, she'd later discover that the "really small and barely legible black text" underneath the "big blue P" stated that time restrictions applied and that drivers should "see contractual signage throughout the site for more information".
