Dear Euro Car Parks
Re: Notice to Keeper: [NTK NUMBER]
Vehicle Registration: [REGISTRATION NUMBER]
Location: Cardiff International Pool Car Park, Empire Way
Date of Parking Event: 19 July 2026
I am appealing this Notice to Keeper as the registered keeper of the vehicle.
This appeal concerns the adequacy and prominence of the signage communicating a significant and relatively recent change to the longstanding parking arrangements at Cardiff International Pool.
The driver was familiar with Cardiff International Pool and with the longstanding previous arrangement whereby parking associated with the facility was free. The subsequent introduction of a privately managed paid-parking regime therefore represented a material change to the parking arrangements with which a returning user of the facility would have been familiar.
After receiving the Notice to Keeper, I made enquiries regarding the change in parking arrangements. I contacted Cardiff International Pool and was informed that the car park had been sold to a private owner around April 2026. This would place the change only approximately three months before the parking event on 19 July 2026.
I subsequently revisited the location and obtained photographs showing the approach to the car park and its entrance from a driver’s perspective. These photographs were taken after the parking event and are attached to this appeal to demonstrate the positioning and prominence of the signage as encountered when approaching the site.
For the avoidance of doubt, this appeal does not assert that there was no signage whatsoever at the entrance. The issue is whether the significant and relatively recent change from the longstanding free-parking arrangements was brought sufficiently prominently to the attention of a returning motorist.
The attached photographs show the route towards the car park. There is no conspicuous advance signage on the approach specifically alerting motorists that the longstanding parking arrangements have changed or that new paid-parking terms are now in operation.
The relevant parking signage becomes apparent at the entrance itself. Although signage is present there, it is positioned to the side of the driver’s direction of travel. In particular, the yellow notice specifically stating “New parking rules in operation” is comparatively small, positioned beneath the other signage and does not stand out prominently to a motorist approaching and negotiating the turn into the car park.
The fact that a notice stating “New parking rules in operation” was considered necessary is itself consistent with there having been a material change to the established parking arrangements. The question is whether that change was given sufficient prominence to bring the new terms adequately to the attention of motorists who were familiar with the previous arrangements.
The vehicle’s parking position and the pedestrian route taken are also relevant to the practical visibility of the entrance signage. As identified in the attached photograph, the vehicle was parked close to the trees and pedestrian access/walkway at the edge of the car park. After parking, the driver left the car park through that pedestrian access rather than returning towards the vehicle entrance. The driver subsequently returned to the vehicle by the same pedestrian route. The driver therefore did not pass the vehicle entrance signage again on foot after parking.
This appeal is therefore not based simply upon whether Euro Car Parks can demonstrate that signs physically existed somewhere at the site. The issue is whether a material and relatively recent change from longstanding free parking to a privately managed paid-parking regime was communicated with sufficient prominence to bring the new terms adequately to the attention of a returning motorist.
The attached photographs have deliberately been taken from the approach and driver’s perspective so that the signage can be considered in its actual context, including the absence of conspicuous advance warning, the positioning of the entrance signage, the comparatively small notice concerning the new parking rules, and the location at which the vehicle was parked.
In those circumstances, I respectfully request that Euro Car Parks cancel the Parking Charge Notice.
If Euro Car Parks rejects this appeal, please provide a detailed response addressing the signage and change-of-terms issue raised above, together with the appropriate POPLA verification code, so that the registered keeper may refer the matter for independent consideration.
Yours faithfully
Registered Keeper
Going back to the photos I circled where the vehicle was parked and driver walked out and returned to the vehicle.
Photo attached:
https://ibb.co/CS9f9mJ
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