We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum... Read More »
Parking stories in the News/media
Comments
-
Coupon-mad said:by Who wants to whistleblow and report Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council to the DVLA?
https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/two-nuneatons-biggest-car-parks-26193488.amp
And Gravesham Borough Council too:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/new-way-to-pay-in-town-centre-car-parks-281226/
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/gravesend/news/amp/new-parking-system-to-go-live-in-town-centre-290008/
Edit, add to this
Hastings Borough Council:
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/priory-meadow-car-park-in-hastings-goes-ticketless-as-from-today-here-is-what-you-need-to-know-4066543
And West Northants Council:
https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/news/politics/council/northampton-pensioner-slams-new-anpr-system-at-busy-council-owned-car-park-following-saturday-night-chaos-4054537
Absolute mayhem!
EDIT:
Add Rochester:
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/amp/town-centre-car-parks-to-introduce-anpr-cameras-286736/
And add Runnymede Borough Council:
https://www.getsurrey.co.uk/news/surrey-news/waitrose-egham-disabled-parking-row-26982863.amp
And even worse is Bodmin Town Council are letting PPS operate COUNCIL car parks as if they are private land, and ANPR has been installed despite it being banned for local authority use (for parking enforcement) in the Deregulation Act 2015:
https://www.cornish-times.co.uk/news/bodmin-town-council-car-parks-face-price-hike-and-anpr-camera-enforcement-615095
So are Chelmsford City Council:
illegally letting Smart Parking operate with ANPR at a Council-owned shopping centre for THREE YEARS:
https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/23671421.canvey-knightswick-shopping-centre-parking-changes/
I feel a FOI request coming on for the number of contract law 'PCNs' issued and a copy of the landowner/parking firm contract.
More questions about possible use of ANPR in Council car parks, this time I suspect it here from Derby City Council:
https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/derby-news/council-raises-60000-parking-tickets-8631304.ampEdit:
And Doncaster:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/80322965/#Comment_80322965
2018 Doncaster Parking Strategy includes the following:"East Leith Gate and NCP Frances Street Car Parks are privately managed but owned by The Council (elsewhere in the document the car park name is spelt correctly as East Laith Gate). "
EDIT: add to this in 2025, Didcot Town Council:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81531270/#Comment_81531270
But seriously:
Their legal advisors seem to have missed the fact that Councils aren't allowed to use ANPR for parking enforcement. It became illegal as part of the Deregulation Act in 2015.
Can probably add BHCC (Brighton council) to this list because they use OPS and the new signs on the promenade say e-permits and ANPR is being used.
Let's hope they are only using ANPR to "assist with smooth payments" (which is allowed) and not to use the data to send to the DVLA to issue postal PCNs (illegal).
Look what happened to Wycombe Council when they tried out ANPR for parking enforcement in car parks:
http://parking-prankster.blogspot.com/2014/08/wycombe-district-council-banned-for.html?m=1
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD2 -
Coupon-mad said:pdel61 said:Another council falling for ANPR.
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/car-park-charge-introduced-cameras-113000771.html
"Automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) will be used to fine motorists that haven’t paid a soon-to-be-introduced charge at a car park.Liberal Democrat-led Didcot Town Council has voted in favour of introducing charges to Civic Hall car park in Britwell Road. Three companies put forward their proposals to operate the ANPR cameras in the car park."
0 -
Member of the public gives money to Tesco in exchange for food and then has the audacity to return a short time later to give money to Tesco in exchange for petrol.
How dare they.8 -
Storrington, West Sussex: Civil Enforcement issuing postal PCNs to lots of people who paid to park:
https://www.sussexexpress.co.uk/news/people/residents-in-west-sussex-village-up-in-arms-over-parking-fine-nightmare-5216093
"Many motorists are now struggling to appeal against the fines. One driver – Karen Franklin, who lives in Storrington – said: "People have been receiving dozens of these notices through the mail, despite the fact that they paid and have evidence to support the fact.”She said she herself received four notices through the post on one day, followed by a further nine a few days later – and yet another two this week."
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD5 -
Next up, Total Parking Solutions have reportedly had their ANPR exit timer set an hour out since March:
https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/25286342.dunelm-kidderminster-resident-hit-unfair-parking-fine/
Wonder how many victims who didn't have dashcam footage have paid?
The BPA must be so proud.PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD5 -
And then we have yet another big BPA ANPR firm, Euro Car Parks Ltd who set thug DRAs demanding £170 from a chap whose car was damaged at a Morrisons car park, after an EV charger got rammed stuck in his car:
https://www.harboroughmail.co.uk/news/people/bizarre-lutterworth-parking-fine-is-finally-dropped-with-a-little-help-from-the-harborough-mail-521171
He was waiting for the AA but ECP didn't know or appear to care. It took the local paper complaining to Morrisons to apply the clue-bat and make ECP cancel.PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD4 -
Wow. Reports are flooding in this week about BPA firms! This case involves NCP who reportedly knew their system at Norwich station was faulty but still set horrific BPA-connected Moorside Legal on these victims:
https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/25233868.couple-handed-170-parking-fine-norwich-railway-station/
NCP wrongly claimed they were there for an hour but they were only stopped for 8 minutes:
"They sent Google data to the appeals team, which showed they were not at the station for nearly an hour.NCP has stated that the fine handed to Mrs McKnespiey was when it "was experiencing an issue where some number plates were not captured leaving the station".
The firm previously claimed it would be looking at all parking charge notices(PCN) handed out since September 2024..."
Yet again they only backed off when the newspaper got involved.
The County Court Claim stated that the pair were "indebted" to NCP for £264.
Following the newspaper's investigation, a spokeswoman for NCP confirmed that it was cancelled with "immediate effect."
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD5 -
Yet more 'scam' PCNs from BPA firms.
It's UKPC with zero grace period this time:
https://www.greatyarmouthmercury.co.uk/news/25281270.woman-given-100-fine-stopping-near-hemsby-car-park/She was waiting for her son and parked on the corner near the car park for just three minutes.
Stephanie Travis stopped near The Sandsgate Bar on June 20 at around 8pm, where there is parking on site, to pick up her son, who was enjoying the warm weather on Hemsby Beach.
"I said to my son, 'make sure you're ready because I'm not pulling into any car parks', because I had heard a few horror stories about people being fined for picking people up," Miss Travis said.
"I moved to Sea View Road when my son called and then picked him up. I wasn't there for more than five minutes," she said. Miss Travis, from Great Yarmouth, was then slapped with a £100 parking fine days later.
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD4 -
This article doesn't name & shame the PPC but it us UKCPM. How dare they?
A poorly 86 year old disabled lady has actually paid them £100:
https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/25298949.kingston-hospital-disabled-parking-changes-leads-fine/
On April 29, Patricia Mukhtar attended an appointment at Kingston Hospital, parking in a disabled bay with her blue badge - as she has done for more than a decade. She claims her car had already been registered with the hospital as belonging to a blue badge holder.“It appears that procedures for blue badge holders had changed at the beginning of April. Now the correct procedure, having parked, was to take the blue badge to the payment machine and register it there. At no time was I informed of this, and my appointment letter did not mention this change.”
Kingston Hospital. Seems to be a new scam dreamt up by UKCPM:
https://www.healthwatchkingston.org.uk/news/2025-03-27/changes-parking-blue-badge-holders-kingston-hospital
This is the WORST imposition/burden on disabled motorists I've seen.
What justified data right do UKCPM have to SCAN THE BARCODE ON BLUE BADGES and make disabled people take unexpected extra steps, just because they want to use a remote ANPR system.
And why aren't they cancelling PCNs for blue badge holders who previously 'registered' and properly displayed their BB?
Shame on the IAS for refusing her appeal.
Shame on this NHS Trust.
Shame on UKCPM. Wonder how many disabled people they've rinsed since this change?
The IPC must be so proud.PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD4 -
ANOTHER one where the PPC reckons they can make disabled people SCAN THEIR BLUE BADGE:
https://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/news/25289814.weavers-wharf-car-park-disabled-parking-changes-update/
Euro Car Parks this time. Shocking data abuse and probably illegal, in my view.
"Several Blue Badge holders have spoken out after receiving parking fines on the Weavers Wharf car park in recent months following changes to the car park, which is now operated by Euro Car Parks.The changes mean people need to scan their Blue Badge at the payment machines to register their vehicle and ensure they get two hours of free parking.
Visitors, including Rita Parton and her partner Brian Woolley, have previously claimed that they were unaware of the changes and didn't see the signs in the car park, whilst others, including Julie Astill, have said they struggle to get over to the machines to scan their Blue Badge."
Of course they do!
You cannot put this extra burden on disabled people just because you want to avoid using staff to man the area.
What on earth is going on?
And what data are they scanning and keeping?
HOW ARE PRIVATE FIRMS ON PRIVATE LAND GETTING ACCESS TO INTERROGATE THE (LOCAL AUTHORITY ONLY) INFO BEHIND A BLUE BADGE BARCODE?
PRIVATE 'PCN'? DON'T PAY BUT DON'T IGNORE IT (except N.Ireland).
CLICK at the top or bottom of any page where it says:
Home»Motoring»Parking Tickets Fines & Parking - read the NEWBIES THREAD6
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply

Categories
- All Categories
- 350.9K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 453.5K Spending & Discounts
- 243.9K Work, Benefits & Business
- 598.8K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 176.9K Life & Family
- 257.2K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.6K Read-Only Boards