£2.3M CAR FINES

ILLEGALLY parked motorists in North Wales have paid out more than £2.3m in penalty charge notices in the last two and a half years.

Five North Wales councils – Flintshire, Wrexham, Gwynedd, Anglesey and Denbighshire – collected £2,359,136.20 in fines from 81,527 tickets between April 2013 and January 2016.

The figures were obtained by the Daily Post via a Freedom of Information request and detail penalty charge notices handed out in car parks and on streets.

Gwynedd council handed out the most fines over the period, issuing 32,488 fixed penalty notices worth more than £900,000. Hotspots included Ysbyty Gwynedd, Glanrafon car park, Dean Street and Maes Parcio Menai, all in Bangor.

Gwynedd council chiefs insisted parking enforcement was used to “maintain a safe and sustainable transport system by improving road safety and reducing congestion”.

A Gwynedd council spokesman added: “Any individual who believes a penalty charge notice has been wrongly issued can challenge the matter by following the advice on the back of the notice.

Anglesey council issued the least amount of ticktes, with 3,162 raking in £86,652.12.

Most motorists were slapped with fines at the library car park in Beaumaris, Lower Hill Street and Swift Square car parks in Holyhead, Lon St Fraid car park in Treaddur Bay, and Station Yard and Mill Street car parks in Llangefni.

Denbighshire council issued 23,432 fines totalling £686,273.22. The most ticketed car parks and roads included Queen Street, West Parade, Wellington Road, Sky Tower West Parade car park and Kimnel Street, all in Rhyl.

Drivers in Wrexham were hit with 11,876 fines during the two and a half year period, paying out £337,988.

Common areas across Wrexham for people being fined were Chester Street, Waterworld car park, Wrexham Technology Centre car park, the People’s Market multi-storey car park, Rhosddu Road and St Giles car park.

In Flintshire, 10,569 penalties were given out, with motorists paying up £313,432.92. The majority of fines were dished out in Mold, with hotspots including New Street car park, High Street, Earl Road, Grosvenor Street, Love Lane car park and Griffiths Square car park.

Conwy council failed to respond to the Freedom of Information request within the legal time requirement.