‘Pay back all car park fines’
AWEST Lancashire councillor claims parking fines should be scrapped at two shopping centres, after revealing no planning permission was sought for either system.
Cllr Neil Furey, who represents Skelmersdale North, says automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras and associated signs should not have been erected at the Concourse Shopping Centre, in Skelmersdale, without permission first being granted by West Lancashire Borough Council’s planning department.
The same, he says, is true for the Ringtail Retail Park, at Burscough, and he is now calling for all previous fines issued by Smart Parking be reimbursed to motorists.
He also attacked operators Smart Parking over the accuracy of its technology.
Cllr Furey said: “I expect motorists will be angry to learn that Skelmersdale Concourse Shopping Centre didn’t bother to obtain planning permission for its Smart Parking ANPR cameras and signage.
“For the last 12 months, I have received a number of complaints about incorrect £100 Parking Charge Notices being issued to motorists by Smart Parking.
“Motorists have been accused of overstaying or even staying overnight when they have done nothing of the sort. Motorists have then been hounded by Smart Parking with further demands and threats of court action. In some cases, motorists have had to produce their own video footage to challenge PCNs.
“Smart Parking has consistently failed to accurately record images of vehicles entering and leaving the site or recognise that motorists have made two trips to the car parks, but had done so within the advertised restrictions. In short, Smart Parking has been using every trick in the book to issue £100 Parking Charge Notices in the hope that motorists will just cough up.
“Motorists I have spoken to are rightly outraged at the tactics and heavy-handed behaviour of Smart Parking. When contesting PCN demands, motorists have told me they are just being fobbed off.”
The owners of the car parks did not respond to requests for comment. ● HAVE you been affected? Please email Advertiser reporter Jamie Lopez at: jamie. lopez@reachplc.com