Frenchgate Centre Car Park parking fine: rules, free time and how to appeal

Frenchgate Centre Car Park is a shopping centre car park serving Frenchgate Shopping Centre (Frasers Group) in Doncaster, on Church View (DN1 1AF). Parking here is managed by ParkingEye, a private operator and member of the British Parking Association (BPA), so a ticket from this car park is a private Parking Charge Notice, not a council fine.

ParkingEye enforces the rules at Frenchgate Centre Car Park using number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras that log the time you drive in and out. If you got a charge here it will usually have arrived by post, addressed to the registered keeper, and the times on it are camera times, not the time you parked.

The rules at Frenchgate Centre Car Park

There is no free period at Frenchgate Centre Car Park: you pay from the moment you arrive.

The tariff we recorded is: Paid 24/7: £1.70 up to 1 hour, £3.40 up to 2 hours, £4.20 up to 3 hours, £5.30 up to 5 hours, £6.30 up to 7 hours, £9.80 up to 8 hours, then £1.50 per extra hour.. You can pay by kiosk on site before you exit (enter full registration) and the Evology Parking app. Because the cameras match payments to your registration, the registration you enter has to match your vehicle exactly.

Part of the car park is set aside for permit holders. Parking in a permit bay without a permit is one of the commonest reasons for charges here, so check which bay you were in.

Frasers Group bought the Frenchgate in 2024 and ParkingEye took over the multi-storey and rooftop car parks soon after, now trading under its Evology brand. The switch triggered a wave of £100 charges and complaints, with the local MP saying some came from drivers using the wrong machine: the shopping and rail levels have separate machines and separate prices, and the long-stay rail car park is run by LNER. Pay at a shopping-level kiosk with your full registration, or in the Evology app. The rooftop car park entrance on West Laith Gate was closed in March 2026, so entry is through the Church View multi-storey. If you paid and still got a charge, appeal with your receipt or bank record showing the payment time.

How to appeal a charge at Frenchgate Centre Car Park

1. Don't ignore it. Note the date on the notice: you normally have 28 days to appeal to ParkingEye, and 14 days to pay at the reduced rate if you decide to pay.
2. Gather evidence: photos of the signs and where you parked at Frenchgate Centre Car Park, receipts, payment records, and anything that explains why you stayed longer.
3. Appeal to ParkingEye in writing. Keep to the facts and keep a copy. If you were not driving, you don't have to say who was.
4. If ParkingEye rejects your appeal, it must give you a code to appeal to POPLA, the independent appeals service for BPA members. POPLA appeals are free, and you have 28 days from the rejection to use the code.

If you visited several shops at Frenchgate Centre Car Park

The time limit at Frenchgate Centre Car Park applies to your whole visit, not each shop. Receipts from more than one store help show you were a genuine customer and roughly when you arrived and left.

Retailers at Frenchgate Centre Car Park can usually ask the site's management to cancel a charge for a customer. It's worth asking the store where you spent the most.

Common reasons charges here get cancelled

• You paid, but something went wrongPaying with a typo in your registration, or when kiosk on site before you exit (enter full registration) and the Evology Parking app failed, is covered by the codes. Send your payment record; a minor keying error should lead to cancellation.
• You had a permit but it wasn't visibleIf you hold a valid permit for Frenchgate Centre Car Park but it wasn't on display, the charge should be cancelled or reduced. Send a copy of the permit.
• Reported at this car parkShoppers using the rail-level machine instead of a shopping-level machine, so the payment is logged against the wrong tariff
• Reported at this car parkMistyped or partial registrations at the kiosk leading to a charge despite paying
• Reported at this car parkAssuming evenings or Sundays are free when the tariff runs around the clock
• Signs you couldn't reasonably seeThe terms are a contract formed by the signs at Frenchgate Centre Car Park. If the entrance sign was missing, hidden or unreadable, photograph it from the driver's position; the codes set rules for size, placement and wording.

Get an appeal letter for Frenchgate Centre Car Park

Written for you from your check, addressed to ParkingEye with this car park's details already filled in.

• First appeal, plus the POPLA appeal if it's rejected
• Late-appeal and £20-reduction letters included
• Edit it, then download as Word or PDF, or copy into the appeal form
• Full refund within 14 days, no questions

Start my letter, £5.99 Appeal for free instead

A document-preparation service, not legal advice. Your details stay on your device.

Questions about parking at Frenchgate Centre Car Park

How long can you park at Frenchgate Centre Car Park?

We didn't find a published maximum stay. The terms we recorded: Paid 24/7: £1.70 up to 1 hour, £3.40 up to 2 hours, £4.20 up to 3 hours, £5.30 up to 5 hours, £6.30 up to 7 hours, £9.80 up to 8 hours, then £1.50 per extra hour..

Who runs Frenchgate Centre Car Park car park?

ParkingEye manages the parking for Frenchgate Shopping Centre (Frasers Group). It's a member of the BPA, so appeals go to ParkingEye first and then to POPLA.

Is Frenchgate Centre Car Park car park free?

No. The tariff is: Paid 24/7: £1.70 up to 1 hour, £3.40 up to 2 hours, £4.20 up to 3 hours, £5.30 up to 5 hours, £6.30 up to 7 hours, £9.80 up to 8 hours, then £1.50 per extra hour..

Can I appeal a ParkingEye charge at Frenchgate Centre Car Park?

Yes. Appeal to ParkingEye within 28 days, with evidence. If it's rejected you can go to POPLA for free. Paying doesn't stop you appealing first, but the reduced rate usually only applies in the first 14 days.

Does Frenchgate Centre Car Park have parking cameras?

Yes, ParkingEye uses ANPR cameras here. They record your registration and the time you enter and leave, and charges are posted to the registered keeper.

Last checked on 31 October 2026, from published news reports (Doncaster Free Press reports on ParkingEye takeover and fines (2025); Frenchgate car park page; Evology footer confirms it is a ParkingEye trading name). Signs and rules change, so the signs on the day are what count. Spotted something different? Report a change.