Newbury Retail Park Parking Extortion
On Saturday the 20th of December 2025 my wife and I went shopping at the Newbury Retail Park. We arrived at 14:03PM and shopped in 4 stores as listed below:
M&S 14.24PM £11.30
Boots 14.52PM £175.55
T K Maxx 16.25PM £135.16
Lidl 17.17PM £127.71
Spending a total of £449.72 on various items of Christmas Shopping.
We departed the Retail Park at 17:28PM
We were in the site for a total of 3 hours and 25 minutes according to the Civil Enforcement Parking Charge Notice issued on 25/12/2025 and as a result we were presented with a demand for £100 as a result of a parking violation, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days.
We have used the Newbury Retail Park on numerous occasions over the last 3 years, and I can honestly say I have never noticed a sign stating parking is only allowed for 3 hours and staying longer would result in an extortionate demand with menaces for an entirely unreasonable amount of money. Even at the reduced rate we are being forced to pay £2.40/minute for parking which by any sensible standard is absurd. Not only that but we are also being threatened with Court action should we fail to pay and also told that the reduced rate is removed if we have the audacity to appeal.
The only sign I can recollect regarding parking is on at the exit stating No Return Within 2 Hours which I have always considered counter intuitive as one would expect shops to be happy for customers to return and spend money with them. I am sure there are some signs somewhere, but I imagine most customers, like me, have not seen them and do not expect to be subject to a prote3ction like racket that demands money with menaces for parking in a shopping centre for in excess of 3 hours. There are 14 or so shops on the site and we only visited 4 so I have to wonder how many other people are being extorted by the owners of Newbury Retail Park.
I also think the store owners and operators should insist that parking is free and if not, they should decline to rent premises on the park. If this is not achieved by the shop operators the good people of Newbury should boycott the retail park until the owners amend the policy.
I think a social media campaign is called for.







