Lidl cancels £90 parking ticket issued to EV driver charging outside store hours

Trevor Taylor received a £90 parking charge notice after spending 16 minutes charging his electric vehicle at a Lidl car park in Barton upon Humber, North Lincolnshire, at around 6pm on 12 July, outside the store's opening hours. Lidl had introduced out of hours parking restrictions due to anti social behaviour concerns, but the retailer has now cancelled the ticket and is reviewing its EV charging policy at sites with car park restrictions. The BBC reports that Taylor's stay exceeded the car park's consideration and grace periods, which allow drivers time to read signs and decide whether to stay.

Why it matters: The case highlights a policy gap affecting charge point operators and retailers: EV drivers expect 24 hour access to public chargers, yet site owners may impose time restrictions for other reasons. Lidl's policy review could influence how other supermarkets and CPOs balance security concerns with the operational expectation of round the clock charging availability.