Outstaying your welcome at a South Holland car park will cease to be a criminal matter from next month as changes in parking enforcement come into force.
Although people who stick to the rules in the council’s off-road car parks are unlikely to notice any difference, from the beginning of December those who fail to pay for a parking ticket or park incorrectly will face civil enforcement rather than criminal sanctions.
The changes mirror the situation in on-road parking after Lincolnshire County Council applied to the Secretary of State for Transport for the whole county to become a Civil Enforcement Area.
A South Holland District Council spokesman said, in the main, the change from criminal to civil enforcement of parking would not result in any noticeable changes, but it is taking the opportunity to make alterations at one or two car parks during the changeover.
One change is the charging hours at Spalding’s Herring Lane car park, where in the past users have had to pay a separate night-time fee for parking after 6pm.
The all-day charge will now run from 8am to 8pm, with no night-time charge, making the car park more user-friendly for people wanting to use it while enjoying an evening out in the town centre.
The maximum waiting time at the Albion Street (Castle Sports Complex) car park will also be reduced from 24 hours to four hours and existing parking times at the West Street (north) car park in Long Sutton will be changed to correspond with the sign on site.
Penalty charges will either be £50 or £75 depending on the severity of the breach, or £25 to £35 for early payment within 14 days.