Latest news with #retailpark
BBC News
10-07-2025
- BBC News
Teenage boy pleads not guilty to arson after Dunelm fire
A teenage boy has pleaded not guilty to arson in relation to a fire that destroyed businesses at a retail 15-year-old boy from Northampton, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was charged after the fire took place at Nene Valley Retail Park, in Northampton, on 31 appeared before Wellingborough Magistrates' Court on Tuesday and denied committing arson with recklessness as to whether life was was given conditional bail. Two other boys aged 14 also remain on conditional bail. A further hearing will take place at the same court on 2 September. The fire destroyed a Dunelm home furnishings store and a Pets at Home outlet which included a Vets for Pets staff from the Dunelm shop have temporarily been redeployed to nearby stores including those in Kettering and units including B&M, Tapis Carpets and Dreams remain closed, with Dreams saying it hopes to reopen by the end of the year. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Teenage boy charged with arson after Northampton Dunelm fire
A teenage boy has been charged with arson five weeks after a serious fire at a retail 15-year-old from Northampton has been questioned about the blaze which took place at the Nene Valley Retail Park on 31 appeared at Northampton Magistrates' Court on Friday and was released on conditional bail until a court hearing next other boys, both 14, remain on conditional bail. The 15-year-old boy is accused of arson with recklessness as to whether life was cannot be named for legal fire destroyed a Dunelm home furnishings store and a Pets at Home outlet which included a Vets for Pets staff from the Dunelm shop have temporarily redeployed to nearby stores including those in Kettering and units including B&M, Tapis carpets and Dreams beds remain closed, with Dreams saying it hopes to reopen by the end of the year. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Guardian
30-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Guardian
I went to a drive-thru Starbucks but ended up with a £100 parking fine
I recently had to collect my brother from Stansted airport. I stopped to collect a coffee from the Starbucks drive-thru in a retail park near the airport. I asked the assistant if it was OK to park up to drink it and was told there were 60 minutes' free parking. In total I was on the site for 16 minutes. Soon afterwards I received a £100 from MET Parking Services. I immediately contacted Starbucks, which told me I was supposed to enter my car registration on an iPad in store. This had not been mentioned by the staff and there was no iPad available at the drive-thru kiosk. Stansted travellers beware! CF, Sudbury, Suffolk Scores of other drivers have been charged £100 for sipping a coffee at the Southgate Park retail park which lies off the A120 by the airport, according to online forums. This must make it the most expensive latte in the UK. The car park seems to also be ranked one of Britain's trickiest traps for motorists. The Guardian first exposed its opaque rules back in 2018 and it seems it's still providing a lucrative income stream for the enforcement firm, MET Parking Services. Signs greeting arrivals proclaim that parking is for customers only. Terms and conditions are detailed on separate notices in font illegible through a windscreen. Many of those caught out parked outside Starbucks and ordered from the adjacent McDonald's, or vice versa. That's because the Ts and Cs decree that the lot is divided into two sections – one for each outlet – and that, as well as pulling up in the correct bays, customers must register their vehicles within the correct restaurant. Starbucks told you helplessly that it has no control over parking charges, and referred you to MET. It ignored your question about why you were not properly informed by staff. It also ignored my requests to know why drive-thru customers are not automatically told of the registration requirement and provided with an iPad. There's little point in a drive-thru if they have to walk into the cafe to comply. I wanted to know whether it has pressed for clearer signs, and how many complaints it has received in the last year, but it didn't bother to reply. I found MET to be just as uncommunicative. In vain I asked why the signs are not clearer, whether it, or the landowner, keeps the charges levied on unwitting drivers, and how much it collected in the past year. MET's parking charge notice may be unenforceable, in any case. Parking companies obtain the address of a vehicle's registered keeper from the DVLA, but they can't prove it was the registered keeper at the wheel. In most cases that doesn't matter. The 2012 Protection of Freedoms Act, which applies to England and Wales, allows the registered keeper to be held liable for breaches of conditions on private land if the driver is not named. However, keeper liability does not apply to land where parking is covered by specific laws – known as statutory control – such as railway stations and airports. You should be asked if you were the driver, and if you refuse to confirm who was at the wheel the charge notice can't be pursued. In at least one case the independent appeals service, Popla, allowed an appeal because MET failed to rebut the appellant's claim that Southgate Park is within the boundary of Stansted airport. Your fine has since been cancelled by MET – I suspect the prospect of a headline was the nudge it needed. We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number. Submission and publication of all letters is subject to our terms and conditions.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Retail park in Northampton handed back to owners after major fire
A fire service said it was handing back the scene of a fire at a retail park to the site's Fire and Rescue Service handed back Nene Valley Retail Park to its owners on Thursday. Emergency services were called to the blaze at the Dunelm store at St James Retail Park off Towcester Road in Northampton, just after 15:00 BST on investigation into the cause of the fire is being carried out by Northamptonshire Police. The fire service said a crew carried out a final inspection on Thursday which found no further hotspots. A 14-year-old boy was detained on Monday by officers and released on other boys arrested on Saturday on suspicion of arson have also been released on bail, while a 13-year-old who was detained on Saturday will face no further action, the force added. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Massive fire breaks out at the second largest retail park in the UK as smoke billows into sky and shops forced to close
FIRE crews have been called to a blaze at the second largest retail park in the UK. Shops have been forced to close as smoke has been seen billowing into the sky. 1 The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) were called to Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh, on Wednesday evening after a fire broke out at an electrical substation. The blaze was at an electrical substation that saw fire appliances dispatched after the SFRS received reports at approximately 5.34pm. It's understood that there have been no casualties. A car dealership and other shops at the centre were forced to close early due to a power cut. An SFRS spokesperson said at around 7pm: "We received reports of an electrical substation fire at Fort Kinnaird at around 524pm. "Two appliances were dispatched, we remain in attendance." Western Volkswagen said: "There has been a fire and power cut at Fort Kinnaird. All telephone lines are down and the dealership is closed. "Sorry for any inconvenience caused from this. We should be back open from 7am tomorrow morning as normal."
