3,000 fined for parking on streets near airport

50 CARS TOWED AWAY BELONGING TO HOLIDAYMAKERS

A MAJOR crackdown on holidaymakers parking on residential streets near Manchester Airport has seen almost 3,000 drivers fined and 50 cars towed away in the last 12 months.

Manchester council launched an enforcement team last summer in a bid to tackle holidaymakers and meet and greet firms who were using the streets as a dumping ground.

Officers have been deployed to areas, particularly in Woodhouse Park, that are known to the council as hotspots on holiday parking.

Between 2018 and 2019, nearly 2,500 visits were made by the city council to affected areas, who have since clamped down on nuisance parking.

For years, local residents have been fraught with frustration and anger as holidaymakers cars have been left on streets for days and even weeks on end.

Rogue firms advertise online, with the promise of ‘secure’ parking for holidaymakers, but in reality, cars have been dumped on streets or fields.

A zero-tolerance approach adopted by the council, has seen thousands of drivers and firms made an example of.

Between January and August 2018, 1,505 fines were issued and 34 vehicles were removed by Manchester Council.

In the same time frame in 2019, 1,437 fines were sent out, and 19 vehicles were towed away.

Coun Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for neighbourhoods, said: “It is something we are still working on but because the industry is not licensed it is difficult for us to set rules and regulations for firms to satisfy.

“We are hoping some kind of legislation will come through but we need help from the central government.

“There is still work to be done but I am confident the message is starting to sink in that Wythenshawe cannot be treated as an overflow car park.”