Shoprite in Port Erin is clamping down on motorists who are not customers using their car parks.
Carol Glover, from Isle of Man Enterprises Ltd, which owns Shoprite, wrote to the local authority that in the build up to Christmas, the store in Port Erin ‘is falling behind our other stores because of a lack of car parking at peak times’.
They assessed that the car parking spaces owned by the store (some areas of the car park are owned by the local authority and others by Fistard Properties) are 70 per cent full for most of the day ‘with cars belonging to people who work in the town, or even car share to elsewhere’.
On a trial basis, Ms Glover said the store will enforce parking restrictions on spaces they own – which are two hours’ disc parking (proof of purchase at Shoprite, Shoprite Living or Iceland may be requested) and a £25 penalty charge for overstay – and monitor usage.
In the area of parking where it can be applied, signage will state: ‘This car park is locked overnight (opening hours 8am – 10pm). Any vehicles left overnight are subject to a penalty charge – £25.’
Ms Glover warned that, as a result, there may be greater pressure on parking spaces owned by the local authority.
Last week, commissioner Steve George asked: ‘Can they charge £25 just like that? I thought there’s a covenant so they cannot charge for parking.’
Commissioners’ clerk Jason Roberts was unsure about any such covenant and said: ‘It’s private land. The commissioners cannot enforce a covenant on land owned by someone else. I can monitor any negative influences this has on our car parking spaces.’
Commissioners’ chairman Nick Watterson said enforcing this in a car park where there is a patchwork of ownership will be a ‘conundrum’.