Northfield parking nightmare as 'everyone getting fines' - from school-run parents to taxi drivers A café owner even paid for a customer's £60 fine amid the troubles - which traders say are 'ruining' the town as shoppers venture elsewhere From school run parents to taxi drivers and café customers, everyone is 'getting fined' for using a car park in a Birmingham town centre, angry business owners have claimed. Problems with the parking nightmare were said to be "ruining" Northfield, with traders concerned shoppers were being pushed away after receiving £60 fines in a car park now limited to Just for Pets and United Carpets customers. ‌ With "nowhere else to park", shoppers used the Chatham Road spot to pick up children from dance school, visit the Clock Cafe or nip to the pharmacy and shop. ‌ READ MORE: Bank Holiday train passengers warned of travel disruption as landmark station set to close However, after the landlord for the car park cut free parking for non-customers, even people who stopped there for a matter of minutes - be it lost or dropping a taxi passenger off - found themselves ticketed under "strict curfews". Well-known Clock Cafe owner Faram Mobed, known as Frank, even found himself paying a 92-year-old customer's fine after his quick pharmacy visit landed him £60. Article continues below Frank, 68, told BirminghamLive the issues, along with cost increases, were affecting businesses so badly, he had thought about shutting up shop after 28 years in the community. He said: "Given it's got so bad, I've lost a lot of trade. Anyone even driving through the car park, cutting across, they get a parking ticket now. Clock Cafe owner Frank (Faram) Mobed (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) ‌ "A customer, 92, said to me: 'Can I park there?' I said: 'Yeah for ten to 15 minutes', he was just running to get his wife's prescription. He went down the chemist, was straight back. "Two days later he says: 'I've got a ticket'. So I tried to appeal it, but I didn't even have the heart [to tell him it failed], I paid out of my own pocket. "I spoke to the Northfield town manager as well. Even he got a parking ticket." ‌ Customers have been warned against parking in the United Carpets and Just For Pets car park (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) He added: "The customers turn round and say 'sorry Frank, we can't come because we've got a ticket.' Where are people going to park? There's no parking in Northfield. "People are scared to come to Northfield, Northfield is deserted anyway. Everybody's going to Longbridge now, and with this problem, instead of bringing people in, it's ruining Northfield. ‌ "To be honest it's come to that stage where I'm thinking, with everything going up, is it worth it? I was thinking you know: 'Maybe I put the shutters down, I'm 68, I'll retire.'" It advertises as Free customer parking AND Pay to park (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) The sign says 'free parking for customers', with the additional 'Pay to park' option, but it's understood shoppers have not been able to pay - and end up getting fined. ‌ It's understood the car parking changes, which were made by the landlord rather than the shops themselves, have also been detrimental to tenants Just for Pets and United Carpets. One family reportedly spent £80 in Just for Pets before walking to the dance school to pick up their daughter, only to receive a fine as the camera picked up the fact they had left the car park. Anna Williams, co-owner of Willows Dance Company, told us: "Some of the parents now won't shop at Just For Pets because they get a fine. ‌ "If you get lost and pulled into the car park, you will get fined. We have had a lot of people who have had multiple fines. Some of them challenged it and got it revoked, others had pushback from the company. The sign says free customer parking only - but traders complain there's no grace period for those who wrongly enter (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) "I'm just really surprised that a car park can do this." When the mother-and-daughter dance school moved to its current premises two years ago, the car park allowed 75 minutes of free parking, she said. ‌ This was then reduced to an hour, before moving to 'no free parking, except for customers' at the start of this year. She added: "Frustratingly not even a grace period of five minutes. "One of my teachers, who lives in Redditch, and numerous parents have received £60 fines for periods of parking of sometimes as short as four minutes. "After speaking with Frank it is evident the parking is impacting local businesses in a negative way. Northfield is an underprivileged and deprived area. ‌ The Clock Cafe has been running for 28 years - but amid issues with increasing costs and the parking problem, the owner says he may shut up shop (Image: Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Live ) "Frank has owned the Clock Café for 28 years and has built up great relationships with both businesses and residents. The Clock Café is a pillar of the Northfield community, it is heartbreaking that customers are avoiding this end of Northfield due to the strict parking curfews at this car park." Anna said she hoped the car park may consider implementing a "grace period" to help businesses thrive. Article continues below BirminghamLive contacted the press office for Just for Pets and United Carpets for statements. Just For Pets said it could not comment, but stressed that the decision was down to the landlord, rather than the store.