Parking stories in the News/media

patient_dream

The National Trust will be very foolish to use ANPR and the result can only be a reduction in membership, just like retail outlets, pubs, gyms, high streets, fast food outlets, airports, hotels etc etc ?

ANPR is just a money maker and should be restricted to the authorities like the police and even then, it is still a money maker.

Private parking companies and councils are not ft for purpose to operate ANPR

Just like all the people who have been scammed by ANPR, they vanish, never to be seen again. ANPR is the new 4 letter swear word

Jame4ters

The National Trust do some strange things and this is up with them.

I’d be surprised if the Nostell site doesn’t already get a reasonable amount of income from parking as the car park is managed by volunteers. I wonder if they have been offered a payment by the parking management company?

The introduction of ANPR etc will only upset visitors. I wonder how they will deal with the volume of complaints as NT members are fairly vocal.

Entabeni_wanderer

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82030481#Comment_82030481

Indeed. I have a Doro and thus do not use any app only sites since i cannot download any.

Half_way

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82030999#Comment_82030999

I think there is a huge issue brewing with car parks, and other services thay are app only.

not only do they freeze out those with non app (as in google/apple) devices but there aee also plenty of people who struggle to download/register and so on with apps on general and this issue cuts across the age divide.

Plus people are getting more and more personal data aware, and are hesitant to give apps access to location data, phone sensors, internet access and so on, which in itself is a good thing.

Pay by app should be banned where no other alternative (cash or contactless) can be provided .

As for me, i will happily pay contactless either with a card or by tapping my phone, but an app from a dodgy parking company that requires various permissions, forget it.

MothballsWallet

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82031260#Comment_82031260

Two words: Digital Exclusion.

Nellymoser

https://www.wirralglobe.co.uk/news/26185935.new-parking-system-coming-wirral-hospitals-next-month/

The new ANPR cameras at Arrowe Park and Clatterbridge hospitals are set to go live on July 1. Parking Eye will deliver the technology.

PCNs will only be issued to vehicles parked incorrectly or in breach of the car park’s terms and conditions....Oh they've missed out another reason.....or if Parking Eye's ANPR cameras make an error.

Coupon-mad

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8r2jx55lx3o

I see the DFT has reportedly now told Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council that they can repeat the trial they ran last year with London level parking penalties.

They must be disappointed. They wanted a blanket agreement to just increase PCNs permanently but the report they produced was full of holes and not the slightest bit compelling that a significant difference had occurred. In fact the opposite had happened in many instances.

What's the betting that conversations are being had with the BPA as to (how can I put this) how to make the outcome … more compelling … this time?

If at first you don't succeed…!

Maybe BCP Council will either drop Christchurch as the control area (because it really, really didn't "work" last year as they hoped) or maybe they will miraculously issue a stupid amount of PCNs there and significantly fewer in Bournemouth and Poole.

Good to see the DFT has publicly criticised BCP Council for the mess they made of the trial and their report:

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander MP said:

“In supporting BCP’s August 2025 trial, my officials suggested a number of steps to strengthen both the robustness of the analysis and interpretation of findings. This advice was not followed completely. Moreover, while BCP shared early drafts, the final report was published without further engagement with DfT officials. This must not be repeated."

The DFT also stressed that a re-run trial must be fair to motorists. IMHO, that suggests they think it wasn't fair last year.

The AA and RAC were particularly incensed that higher penalties were applied across the board by this council, even for very minor infringements (like wheels over a line or a fluttering ticket) in the very car parks that the trial was supposed to encourage drivers to use!

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/26191860.aa-says-bcp-parking-fine-trial-target-rogue-parkers/

Yet was meant to be about deterring seriously selfish parking on seafront roads. Slapping drivers in car parks with huge penalties defeats the object of the trial. The AA and RAC called it an overreach. Good on them.

So, what we can learn from this is that apparently BCP failed to follow the DFT's guidelines & rules … how ironic!

Coupon-mad

And here we have TPS unfairly penalising people who arrive just before shops open:

https://www.suffolknews.co.uk/bury-st-edmunds/news/it-s-quite-opportunistic-behaviour-shopper-is-prepared-to-9469640/

Indeed.

#ANPR in the hands of private parking firms: ruining confidence in high street shopping near you.

POPLA won't help.

The BPA must be so proud.

Car1980

Depends what he says to Popla, but if they follow their own rules regarding evidence they'll find for TPS.

I can't see TPS taking this to a hearing, so presumably it will go down the DCB Legal discontinuation route.

Hopefully B&Q will step in and try and halt the terrible PR they're getting (unless they don't own the car park).

Castle

With regards to the B&Q Bury St Edmunds, this is my local and the car park entrance sign states that the entrance gates are locked between 8.15pm and 7.00am. (Furthermore, the entrance sign doesn't inform the Driver what the actual trading hours are).