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Driver gets £90 ticket after using Lidl EV charger

Crispin Rolfein Barton-Upon-Humber, near Hull
BBC A man wearing sunglasses and a black T-shirt stands beside a blue Lidl Plus rapid electric vehicle charging unit at Lidl's Barton-upon-Humber store. Charging cables are connected to a vehicle parked alongside the charger. The unit displays instructions for using the charging service, while trees, housing and dark clouds are visible in the background.BBC
Trevor Taylor says Lidl's EV charging policy needs to be much clearer

A driver received a £90 parking ticket after charging his electric car at a Lidl store outside opening hours.

Trevor Taylor said he spent about 16 minutes charging his vehicle in the car park of the store in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire.

The retailer introduced restrictions on out-of-hours parking due to concerns about anti-social behaviour, but Taylor said people expected EV charging to be available around the clock.

Lidl said signs advertised the rules, but it had now cancelled Taylor's ticket. The BBC understands the company is reviewing its EV charging policy at sites where car parks have restrictions.

Taylor, from nearby South Ferriby, said he visited on Sunday 12 July at about 6pm.

His 16-minute stay meant he exceeded the car park's consideration and grace periods, which are designed to allow drivers time to read signs, decide whether to stay and leave.

He later received a parking charge notice (PCN) for £90, reduced to £45 if paid within 14 days.

He said the electricity itself cost about 53p and described the PCN as "excessive".

"I don't think people realise that you're not allowed to do this outside of store hours," he said.

"People believe that chargers are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

A blue Lidl Plus rapid electric vehicle charging unit stands in a car park at Lidl's Barton-upon-Humber store. The charger displays instructions on how to charge using the Lidl Plus app, website or roaming services. A controlled parking area sign is mounted on a post behind the charger, while grass, shrubs and trees can be seen in the background beneath a partly sunny sky.
Text at the bottom of the "How to Charge" notice states that "existing parking restrictions apply"

Taylor pointed out that the charging point could be found through EV apps that showed it was available 24 hours a day.

Lidl said a notice on the charging point stated that "existing parking restrictions apply".

But Taylor argued this needed to be "much clearer".

In July, a motorist raised similar concerns about parking restrictions at a Lidl supermarket in Beverley, East Yorkshire, after collecting a parcel from an InPost locker outside store opening hours.

Judy Ayliffe, from Beverley, East Yorkshire, received a PCN after spending about 15 minutes in the car park while trying to retrieve the package from the locker, which is advertised as offering 24-hour access.

Her charge was cancelled after she contacted her MP.

A smiling woman with her hair in a bun stands beside a white electric vehicle connected to a charging cable at Lidl's Barton-upon-Humber store. The supermarket building and Lidl sign are visible in the background, with several parked cars in the car park under a cloudy sky. Nikki is wearing a retro-style colourful T -shirt.
Electric vehicle driver Nikki Foster became aware of the out-of-hours policy after reading a warning on social media

Nikki Foster, a fellow EV owner, spoke to the BBC while charging her car at the Lidl car park in Barton.

She said she became aware of Taylor's experience after seeing a post on Facebook.

"You'd expect to do it 24/7 because you're paying for the service," she said.

"I don't see why the car parking makes a difference really. As long as you're paying for your car, you come in and do what you need and leave."

Foster said the signage was "not clear at all".

A spokesperson for Lidl GB said: "Signage is currently displayed in our Barton car park outlining that parking is prohibited outside trading hours.

"Built-in grace periods are included to allow anyone entering outside store hours sufficient time to read these rules and safely leave.

"We always advise customers to check site-specific signage when visiting."

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