Skegness shopping centre to get second parking meter accepting coins after ticket queue outrage

One shopper sent the Skegness Standard a photograph of a queue that was forming on Wednesday morning after being caught out because he didn't realise he needed his car registration number before he could get a ticket.

Alan Tyler told us: "The council have installed a new parking pay meter and its causing shoppers big problems.

"I had to wait almost 10 minutes to get to the pay meter only to find that now you need your car reg number to pay.

"I do not know mine so just put anything in so I could pay.

"Lots of people just left the queue and did not pay.This was very annoying and it would not accept my £1 coin.

"I will not be coming back shopping in the town it they do not improve the machine to make to simple to use."

When we posted an article expressing customers' outrage more that one hundred readers commented.

Sue Bakicishort said: "They need to sort it out now people have lost so much income from business's being closed because of Covid.

"If people cannot park quickly and cheaply they will not queue for ages and won't come to Skeggy.

"It's all about councils money grabbing without caring about the general public or the shop owners."

Karen Thorndike commented: "I went the other day and there was a queue and the car park wasn't very full.

"I had to go find a parking space somewhere else out of the car park or I would have missed my appointment.

"When I came back from my appointment there were people still waiting to get a ticket for there car. Why change how it was before? It was perfectly fine."

Tina Parvin thought there should be no charge for parking.

"Demolish them all together. Give free parking to try to bring people back in to town, or else there will be no town."

And Mandy Ellen said: "Ridiculous queues on Monday. How's the car park man going to go about putting a parking ticket on when the owners are most likely stood in the queue?!"

However, the Standard has now been informed a meeting has taken place between the Hildreds Centre management and East Lindsey District Council, who installed the meters, to discuss the problem.

A spokesman for ELDC said: "Members of our parking team had a catch-up with the manager of the shopping centre, Steve Andrews, at the Hildreds yesterday and have been involved in discussions on the matter with him.

"Recognising some of the concerns which have been raised, the team have arranged for an additional machine within the car park to be converted to take coins."