To all those who say PPCs are necessary

daveyjp

A number of posters try and justify PPCs by saying how else can owner manage parking on land - there is an alternative which doesn't involve fraud, obtaining money by menaces or PPCs lying about their powers.

Just like our local Asda this retail park is using Council officers to enforce restrictions. They will be issuing penalty notices which can't be ignored.

From the Yorkshire Post

"A CRACKDOWN on able-bodied people parking in disabled spaces at Rotherham's Parkgate shopping complex will start on Monday.

Civil enforcement officers from Rotherham Council have been called in by the management of the private shopping centre after complaints from disabled drivers who have been unable to park in the designated bays.

Denis Copeland, Parkgate centre manager, said: "We have called on the local authority for help because we are regularly receiving complaints from people with genuine disabilities who have been unable to park their vehicles in designated bays near to the shops and have been forced to walk – often with great difficulty.

"This is often due to able-bodied people using the parking bays purely for convenience and being unwilling to walk a short distance from a legitimate parking bay."

From next week, the enforcement officers will be ensuring that disabled bays are used only by blue badge holders and that cars only park within marked bays, not on yellow or red lines.

Martin Beard, parking services manager at Rotherham Council, said he was "pleased to be able to offer our services to tackle the issue."

If it was all about preventing illegal parking this would be the sensible way to operate, but of course PPCs are all about raking in the cash.

juliescot

Does this mean that council officers are issuing real fines (as it were) for parking on private land?

oldone_2

My first response is that if the Asda car park is privately owned, they can't do this.
This is the same as asking the council to put a ticket on a car that was parked in my drive without my permission.

If it is allowable, than I am sure that the car park markings could be challenged as not per the regulations, and thus the invoice is unenforceble.

juliescot

oldone wrote: »

My first response is that if the Asda car park is privately owned, they can't do this.
This is the same as asking the council to put a ticket on a car that was parked in my drive without my permission.

If it is allowable, than I am sure that the car park markings could be challenged as not per the regulations, and thus the invoice is unenforceble.

This is what I don't understand either. I welcome any sensible legal initiative that will assist with parking but I would hate to see councils get involved in something half baked that will not be enforceable

pogofish

juliescot wrote: »

This is what I don't understand either. I welcome any sensible legal initiative that will assist with parking but I would hate to see councils get involved in something half baked that will not be enforceable

Some councils do own retail parks too and run the car parks as general public parking. My lot only sold-off their three or four retail parks last year.

oldone_2

juliescot wrote: »

This is what I don't understand either. I welcome any sensible legal initiative that will assist with parking but I would hate to see councils get involved in something half baked that will not be enforceable

Also where do the 'fines' go.

Coblcris

Seek out the Parking Order.

juliescot

Coblcris wrote: »

Seek out the Parking Order.

I think you should suggest that as the title of the next Dan Brown book.

sarahg1969

But what about disabled people who don't have a blue badge? Asda has a duty to ensure that disabled people (not solely blue badge holders) have access to suitable parking under the DDA. By limiting the use of their spaces to blue badges holders are they not discriminating against disabled persons who don't have one?

Guys_Dad

sarahg1969 wrote: »

But what about disabled people who don't have a blue badge? Asda has a duty to ensure that disabled people (not solely blue badge holders) have access to suitable parking under the DDA. By limiting the use of their spaces to blue badges holders are they not discriminating against disabled persons who don't have one?

Not if there are sufficient other spaces. It would be hard for anyone to argue that an adjacent empty space did not constitute a suitable alternative.

The real point is that there should be spaces wide enough for wheelchair users, and others should give them priority. However, many supermarkets have gone overboard with parent and baby parking spaces and wheelchair-friendly parking spaces to the extent that there are times when the other spaces are full and shoppers can't park except in the restricted spaces. That's when you see both sides of the argument.

Personally, I loathe seeing able bodied lazy people specifically parking in disabled bays when there a lots of other spaces about. It's at times like that I would like to see them charged in some way - or Tesco banning thm - something to inconvenience them. But if they get a ticket, they come on here bleating about scammers and how unfair it is.

There is no perfect solution.

Sir_Roger_deLodger

Unless there is an order in place then it seems like the council will be acting as a ppc. Be interesting to see the paperwork when the first victim posts on here. If I lived anywhere near Rotherham I'd give it a go.