Parking News Archive

CPS, RIP, now we’ve got NCP

2007-04-05T08:31:00.000+01:00

Salford Advertiser
UNPOPULAR CPS has finally been given the boot from Salford.
But before motorists start celebrating, National Car Parks (NCP) has taken over the contract with a whole raft of new powers....more

Parking chiefs meet shoppers

2007-04-04T11:23:00.000+01:00

Shopshire Star
Parking bosses who have dished out fines to Ellesmere shoppers and traders for parking illegally have met with residents about the new regulations being enforced.
Some Ellesmere shoppers are unhappy they have been fined for parking in areas of the town where they have stopped for decades and have vented their frustration to traffic wardens....more

£3m aim for park fines

2007-04-01T11:17:00.000+01:00

Express and Star
Almost £3 million in parking fines is expected to be collected by Walsall Council in the first four years after the authority takes over responsibility from the police.
From April 2008 up to 32 parking attendants will be patrolling the streets of Walsall until 6pm from Monday to Thursday and 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays...more

Irene’s anger over ticket for parking ‘out of bay’

2007-03-31T09:10:00.000+01:00

This is Cheshire
By Sarah Harker
A CHARITY worker has had her hopes dashed after the council agreed to consider overturning a parking fine.
St Rocco's volunteer Irene Priest was fined for leaving her car in a free car park in Pepper Street, Lymm, on Saturday.
A hospice volunteer for more than 18 years, the 76-year-old widow left her car in the car park to work in the St Rocco's shop....more

Database of parking fine dodgers almost finished

2007-03-30T11:21:00.000+01:00

Donegal News
BY CATHREINE COOK
DONEGAL County Council is in the process of building a database of offenders who have not paid parking fines.
To date many people have been getting away with non-payment but that is due to change by the end of the summer once the database of offenders has been compiled. ...more

Avoid a parking ticket - just by driving away

2007-03-28T12:01:00.001+01:00

This is London
Millions of motorists could escape parking fines by driving away before the ticket is placed on their windscreen, after a landmark High Court case.
Judges ruled that businessman Simeon Ademolake does not have to pay a £50 fine because the warden had not placed the ticket on his car before he drove off. ...more

Flouters face High St ban fines at last

2007-03-27T09:47:00.000+01:00

Oxford Mail
By Giles Sheldrick
Drivers who ignored the ban on cars in parts of Oxford today will be the first to be fined £60.
Oxfordshire County Council has had a 'grace period' for the past month by just sending warnings to those caught driving along Oxford's historic High Street between 7.30am and 6.30pm....more

Council to take over parking fines

2007-03-23T10:21:00.000Z

The Star
By Staff Copy
PARKING fines in Derbyshire could be taken over by the county council from police - allowing the force to concentrate on crime fighting.
The county council is applying to the Government to take over Derbyshire’s parking enforcement from the police. ...more

School kids get parking tickets

2007-03-22T15:28:00.000Z

Kenilworth Weekly News
Sixth form students slapped with £30 parking fines outside Castle Sixth Form in Kenilworth are putting the blame on the school.
One student, who did not want to be named, said: "A couple of weeks ago at Castle sixth form about 10 students received £30 fines for parking on Rouncil Lane, slightly on the kerb. ...more

200,000 motorists hit as hated parking fines rake in £6m

2007-03-22T15:27:00.000Z

Evening Times
by Graeme Murray
ALMOST 200,000 motorists were hit with parking fines last year in Glasgow raising £6million in revenue.
New figures published today by the Scottish Executive show city parking wardens raked in £500,000 more from drivers compared to £5.5m raised a year earlier....more

Shop closes amid parking fears

2007-03-22T10:18:00.000Z

This is Wiltshire
By Helen Thomas
A NEWSAGENT in Corsham has closed its doors while other traders fear business will suffer when free parking is scrapped next month.
Newshop, in the Martingate Centre, was shut on Friday although the reasons behind the closure remain unclear....more

Motorist wins parking fines fight

2007-03-22T10:17:00.000Z

Lewes Today
A NEWHAVEN man has had £300 of parking fines refunded after East Sussex County Council admitted they should not have been issued.
And Michael Derrick, 35, a plumber, is scathing about the local authorities involved. He said: 'I just want them to use resources properly and listen to residents....more

Motorists face more parking fines

2007-03-22T10:16:00.000Z

EDP 24
Errant motorists across Norfolk face more parking fines when councils get the powers to hand out tickets next year.
Police have formally asked the county council to take on parking enforcement from April next year as they seek to switch funds currently used to pay for wardens towards providing more police community support officers (PCSOs)....more

Spy cam racks up £20 grand a month in fines

2007-03-22T10:15:00.000Z

Camden New Journal
Tory changes his mind on parking tickets
A CCTV camera monitoring a Hampstead street racks up more than £20,000 a month in parking fines – even though it’s supposed to be catching criminals out rather than motorists....more

How to avoid parking fines

2007-03-22T10:14:00.000Z

Shropshire Star
How they must be gloating over the £107,000 collected in Shropshire for parking and overstaying in council car parks.
Since the end of November, Shrewsbury alone has collected £60,390 from on-street parking fines, £27,330 more than all the other districts put together....more

Motorist wins parking fines fight

2007-03-22T10:13:00.000Z

Seaford Today
A NEWHAVEN man has had £300 of parking fines refunded after East Sussex County Council admitted they should not have been issued.
And Michael Derrick, 35, a plumber, is scathing about the local authorities involved. He said: 'I just want them to use resources properly and listen to residents....more

Alternative idea for parking wardens

2007-03-21T15:30:00.000Z

Blackpool Today
By craig fleming
As council tax bills arrive hot on the heels of casino vote, followed by Easter and then local elections in May, it is a vital year for Blackpool.
To those in charge who collect charges for services, may I suggest a few improvements to be made? ...more

Traffic wardens fine police £7,000

2007-03-21T14:48:00.000Z

Islington Gazette
nlnews@archant.co.uk
NEW figures reveal that thousands of pounds of taxpayers' cash has been spent on paying for parking fines after traffic wardens targeted marked police cars.
The Metropolitan Police paid Islington Council £1,400 in parking fines in 2006. The year before the figure was more than £2,000....more

Parking firm is adamant it won’t refund clamping fines

2007-03-21T14:40:00.000Z

Welwyn & Hatfield Times
mailto:whtimes@archant.co.uk
A CLAMPING firm has defended its actions after targeting young mums and gym users' cars during a bomb scare.
As the WHT reported last week, 11 cars were clamped by Parking Control Management (UK) when drivers were asked by police to park out of a potential explosion zone.
But PCM spokesman David Blake said the company acted in good faith and would not be refunding the drivers....more

Drivers pay the price for parking offences

2007-03-20T15:33:00.000Z

Cambridge Evening News

WHEN it comes to parking illegally there are certain places in Cambridge that are best avoided.
A Freedom on Information request by the News has revealed the top 10 ticketed streets in the city.
The figures show thousands of drivers are flouting the law by parking on double yellow lines, abusing disabled bays, ignoring residents' parking schemes and even parking in bus stops....more

Campaign to end parking meter charges

2007-03-20T15:32:00.000Z

Lancashire Telegraph
By David Bartlett
MOTORISTS are being urged to boycott parking fees for a week as part of a campaign for free town centre spaces.
The call has been made by the new Free Blackburn Parking group, led by a businessman who calls himself Messieur Meteroff to protest his anonymity....more

Parking at a premium

2007-03-20T12:52:00.000Z

Our Parking Ticket Hotspote revealed
News & Star
by Nick Griffiths and Chris Storey
Which Cumbrian streets get the most parking tickets? Click here
The News and Star today reveals Cumbria's parking ticket hotspots - the streets where the highest number of fines for illegal parking have been issued...more

NHS parking makes £95m

2007-03-20T12:51:00.000Z

The Scotsman
NHS trusts raised almost £100 million from car parking fees last year, despite calls from MPs and campaigners for charges to be cut. ...more

Phones signal end for West End parking meters

2007-03-20T11:19:00.000Z

Transport Briefing
Filed 20/03/07
Westminster City Council has begun a two-week long public consultation, which it hopes will back the authority's plans to remove parking meters from London's West End. The council is currently running a six-month pilot scheme whereby motorists pay to use parking spaces via a mobile phone call. ...more

£5.5m parking fines may be returned

2007-03-19T14:28:00.000Z

Yorkshire Evening Post
By Tony Gardner
DRIVERS could get back up to £5.5m in parking fines after Leeds City Council lost an appeal on wrongly issued tickets.
The authority yesterday dropped 141 cases against drivers who stood up to the local authority, claiming tickets were not legally binding....more

Refunds due over 'illegal' yellow line tickets

2007-03-19T14:26:00.000Z

This is Lancashire
By Leigh Journal Reporter
WIGAN Council have admitted issuing parking tickets on illegal double yellow lines.
Now they are offering to refund motorists who have paid penalty charges - on appeal.
The move comes as a result of investigations by retired slater-tiler Barry Moss who claimed that although he had told the council that the double yellow lines in a parking bay outside 84, Hamilton Street, Atherton, were unenforceable tickets had still been issued....more

Hospital parking a £100m 'rip-off'

2007-03-19T12:57:00.000Z

Metro
Monday, March 19, 2007
Hospital car parking charges are raking in more than £100million a year, new research has shown.
The figures have led to accusations that NHS trusts are 'bleeding patients and relatives dry'...more

Final parking permit decision delayed

2007-03-19T12:48:00.000Z

Richmond & Twickenham Times
Exclusive By Chris Wickham
The final decision on whether to charge Richmond residents different amounts to park their cars dependent on carbon emissions was delayed tonight.
At a meeting of Richmond upon Thames Council's transport consultative group the borough's parking chief said he wanted to fully consider residents' representations before making the final call....more

Friend or foe? The roadside spies cluttering up Britain

2007-03-18T15:41:00.000Z

The Sunday Times
Our roads are awash with a bewildering array of cameras but not all are designed to catch errant drivers
Emma Smith
Britain’s streets are more crowded than ever — and for once we’re not talking about the traffic. Drive anywhere in the country and you will be observed by speed cameras, traffic-monitoring cameras, traffic-flow sensors, CCTV cameras, automatic numberplate recognition (ANPR) cameras, bus lane cameras, parking cameras and, in London, congestion charge cameras. ...more

Is This The World's Shortest Double Yellow Line?

2007-03-18T13:04:00.000Z

A Welsh View

Are these the world's shortest double yellow lines? Their total length is a mere 38 inches, less than a third of the average car.
The tiny no-go zone in the village of Falmer is one of several painted in the area by the county council.
It insists that the lines are there to mark the boundary between new residential parking bays and those where drivers with pay-and-display tickets are allowed to park.
Nevertheless, fines are expected if any unfortunate visitor should leave part of his motor encroaching on the yellow peril.

Wardens target police cars

2007-03-16T12:59:00.000Z

Islington Gazette
nlnews@archant.co.uk
NEW figures reveal that thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money has been spent on paying for parking fines after traffic wardens targeted marked POLICE cars....more

Parking bays become a free for all

2007-03-15T15:54:00.000Z

The Argus
By Lawrence Marzouk
Resident parking bays across central Brighton are becoming a free for all as restrictions are not being enforced.
Almost every parking bay from Seven Dials to the coast is being changed as eight parking zones are merged into two larger areas....more

WE GOT £120 IN PARKING FINES AS TWINS FOUGHT FOR LIFE

2007-03-14T14:44:00.000Z

Daily Record
EXCLUSIVE: WARDENS ADD TO FAMILY'S HELL
By Natalie Walker
PARKING wardens on patrol outside a hospital slapped £120 in fines on a young couple whose premature twins were fighting for life.
Derek Steel and Clare Lally got back late from an anxious meeting about their girls' health to find a £60 ticket on their windscreen....more

Parking fine fiasco may cost £3m

2007-03-13T10:45:00.000Z

Ealing Times
By David Doyle
THREE million pounds of taxpayers' money has been needlessly wasted by the council in a parking fine fiasco, it was revealed this week.
On May 3 last year, the day before the Tories came into power, the council was sent a letter warning that its Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) might be illegal....more

Illegal parking for buying squad

2007-03-12T13:00:00.000Z

The Sun
A POLICE force is to investigate after The Sun saw cops park on double-yellow lines, switch on their patrol car’s hazard lights — and go to buy LUNCH.
We snapped the shaven-headed pair, in uniform, who spent five minutes buying butties from Crumbs sandwich shop in Liverpool. ...more

Hospital fines for 25 drivers

2007-03-12T12:55:00.000Z

Express and Star
A total of 25 people have been fined £30 for inconsiderate parking at Walsall Manor Hospital during the first two weeks of a controversial crackdown.
People who have failed to use designated spaces at the Moat Road site have been hit with a bill....more

Residents protest over parking plan

2007-03-11T12:59:00.000Z

Swindon Advertiser
By Anthony Osborne
A PROTEST was held as people came out in force against a parking shake-up in Wootton Bassett.
About 50 residents from Wood Street turned out on Saturday to highlight their concerns that they might soon lose their car parking spaces....more

Fresh clampdown on illegal parking

2007-03-10T13:03:00.000Z

Hampshire News
MOTORISTS who park on yellow lines at Fareham will soon find themselves brought to book by parking attendants armed with new powers to issue tickets.
The council's 15-strong parking enforcement team will swing into action on April 2 and for the first time will operate under decriminalised parking regulations to monitor on street parking....more

Parking fines hit £107,000

2007-03-10T13:01:00.000Z

Shropshire Star
Drivers parked illegally on streets and car parks across Shropshire have been hit with fines totalling a whopping £107,000 since new traffic wardens hit the streets.
Motorists in Shrewsbury have paid £6,390 in fines from the town’s car parks and £60,390 from on-street fines - £27,330 more than all the other districts put together....more

Parking fine man dies of heart attack

2007-03-09T12:57:00.000Z

HEN News
HORRIFIED shop workers and office staff watched as a man collapsed on the pavement in Hoddesdon after a traffic warden put a parking ticket on his car.
The man, believed to be in his 50s or 60s, was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow after he went into cardiac arrest but died later the same day....more

Ticketed - but I was miles away

2007-03-08T10:21:00.000Z

The Journal

Thursday, March 8, 2007

by Robert Brooks

London's traffic blunders claim third North victim

Red-faced London traffic wardens have apologised to a North pensioner after ticketing her car - when it was 300 miles away.

Monica Archer was puzzled to receive an £80 fixed penalty notice in January for leaving her blue Vauxhall Corsa on Broadway on Boxing Day.

Broadway, in Darras Hall, Ponteland, Northumberland, is not far from her home in Edgehill.

But the Broadway on the ticket was in London's Borough of Newham.

The Journal took up Mrs Archer's case, and pointed out the gaffe to parking controllers in the capital.

And now the authority has written to her to apologise - and scrapped the dodgy fine.

Mrs Archer, 76, a former television producer, said: "They say a CCTV operator made a mistake when reading my numberplate, I can't see how that could happen, though.

"It just makes me wonder how many other people have fallen foul of the same mistake, but paid up."

A Newham council spokeswoman said last night: "Unfortunately mistakes do happen, whether it's down to human error or a CCTV camera image not being clear enough.

"Any person who feels they were wrongly ticketed should contact us, and we will investigate."

There are two similar cases involving London wardens and innocent North-East drivers.

An error in reading car number plates almost led to debt collectors raiding Northumberland mum-of-three Jenny Allen, of Branxton village, near Cornhill, who was accused by the new Transport for London Street Management system of driving in a bus lane.

At the time, she had been shopping 350 miles away in Berwick - doing her shopping.

Bailiffs were going to raid her home, until The Journal intervened.

Ann Walker, of Cornhill-on-Tweed, Nothumberland, was wrongly targeted four times by London traffic wardens.

What made her situation farcical is that the tickets listed a red Ford Ka.

Ann drives a six-tonne eight-wheeled ex-Dutch Army truck which she uses for pulling horse boxes at her stable yard.

24-hour parking police

2007-03-07T12:40:00.000Z

Croydon Guardian
Naomi Boyle, 25, from Old Lodge Lane in Purley, is fighting a late-night parking ticket she was given at 11.07pm.
She was issued with the PCN on Friday, February 23, for having one or more wheels on a kerb in a quiet residential street with no yellow lines or parking restrictions...more

Costly fine for parking mistake

2007-03-07T12:39:00.000Z

Bromley Times
On 27 January, my husband and I went to Greenwich to celebrate our wedding anniversary. I parked my car at the Park Row Car Park and paid £3.50 for three hours. On returning to my car two-and-a-half hours later I had a parking ticket.
On closer examination I discovered that the ticket I had purchased actually had an expiry time of only two hours. ...more

Developer wins car park appeal

2007-03-06T12:44:00.000Z

This is Cheshire
By Lynsey Roberts
DEVELOPERS have successfully appealed against a decision to prevent them from building on land formerly used as the Vine Pub car park in Sale.
Wilmslow Properties Ltd can now move forward with plans to build two retail units next to the pub on Washway Road following the green light from the Planning Inspectorate.
This is despite the proposal being turned down by Trafford Council in December 2005 on the grounds of visual intrusion and the inclusion and design of two sign masts....more

You've got the ticket, now see the picture

2007-03-06T12:33:00.000Z

The Scotsman
By Andrew Picken
TRANSPORT REPORTER
(apicken@edinburghnews.com)
PHOTO evidence of illegal parking on Edinburgh's streets is to be published on the internet for the first time.
From today, drivers will be able to log on to the city council's website and see the photographs taken by parking attendants as they hand out tickets. ...more

Let's work together to end parking row

2007-03-06T10:15:00.000Z

Sunderland Echo
Councillors are calling on companies at Doxford International to join forces to combat parking problems – as it emerges that some car spaces are left empty.
Coun Stuart Porthouse is urging Doxford-based firms to use spare spaces on site and help stop residential areas becoming clogged up....more

Developer wins car park appeal

2007-03-06T09:49:00.000Z

Drivers win half of fine appeals

2007-03-05T12:57:00.000Z

Super News Today
ANDREW PICKEN TRANSPORT REPORTER
MORE than half the motorists who appeal against parking tickets in the Capital are getting their fines quashed.
A total of 2842 drivers successfully appealed against unfair fines after landing 60 penalty notices last year. The number of drivers challenging their fines each month has risen over the last three years, while the proportion of them winning their cases has also gone up. ...more

Parking guru to join fight over ticket machine

2007-03-05T12:42:00.000Z

Mansfield Today
A NATIONALLY renowned expert at challenging parking fines has joined forces with a former policeman waging a war against Mansfield District Council over a 'faulty' ticket machine.
Parking fines guru Barrie Segal has agreed to represent Forest Town man Richard Thompson, who is threatening the council with legal action after a ticket machine allegedly swallowed £1.20 of his money....more

Residents protest over parking fines

2007-03-05T10:21:00.000Z

News Shopper
By Linda Piper
FURIOUS car owners staged an early-morning street protest after parking wardens issued a series of penalty tickets.
Residents in Chapman Road, Belvedere, say the pavement parking bays marked out in the street do not allow enough room for large vehicles to get through....more

'A Law Unto Themselves'

2007-03-05T10:07:00.000Z

Sky News
Updated: 09:56, Monday March 05, 2007

Bailiffs could soon be breaking into homes to seize goods for credit card debts without a court order.

A new law will leave vulnerable people at risk from 'rogue enforcers', according to Citizens Advice.

The charity has revealed nearly two thirds of bailiffs are guilty of harassment or intimidation, while 40% misrepresent their powers of entry.

Under the Tribunals, Courts and Enforcement Bill, which is being debated in the House of Commons, all bailiffs will be given the power to enter domestic premises and enforce consumer credit debts, including credit card bills.

At present, only certain enforcement officers - notably those enforcing magistrates court fines - have these powers.

And bailiffs can only break in to homes if they have a court order.

David Harker, chief executive of Citizens Advice, said: "Our evidence over many years shows that bailiffs have an appalling track record of abusing their existing powers against vulnerable people.

"They are often abusive and aggressive and use threats of violence and prison to pressurise people into paying lump sums they cannot afford."

The charity is also pressing for independent regulation of bailiffs to be included in the proposed legislation.

Citizens Advice said evidence from its network of bureaux revealed that many private debt enforcers act almost as a law unto themselves.

Checks on 500 bailiff cases revealed intimidation, harassment and excessive fee-charging were commonplace.

Citizens Advice is calling on the Government to include in the Bill clear safeguards to ensure that forced entry is only used as a last resort.

Clamping fines of €4.5m in Dublin

2007-03-04T12:19:00.000Z

The Post.IE
By Nicola Cooke
Dublin City Council has earned almost €90 million from parking meters and clamping over the last three years.Dublin City Council has earned almost €90 million from parking meters and clamping over the last three years....more

Road toll lite backlash

2007-03-02T13:05:00.000Z

Daily Mail
By James Chapman
A proposed "lite" version of the Government's controversial road pricing scheme has prompted a furious reaction.
Under the plans Britain will be divided into a patchwork of road pricing zones, with motorists paying up to £1.50 a mile to drive in city centres ...more

Anger at rise in town centre parking costs

2007-03-02T12:15:00.000Z

The Blackpool Gazette
By Shelagh Parkinson
Political Writer
MOTORISTS will have to pay more to park in Blackpool from next month.
Blackpool Council is increasing its charges in car parks across the town – with some fees going up by as much as 20 per cent....more

Driver with 'I Hate Traffic Wardens' sticker gets his comeuppance

2007-03-01T13:01:00.000Z

Daily Mail
After racking up more than £300 parking fines in the last two years, one motorist decided to let traffic wardens know exactly what he really thought of them.
Chris Huskinson was so infuriated after receiving fine after fine from wardens that he bought a very cheeky sign to place in the windscreen of his car. ...more

Fines clampdown ‘will hit innocent drivers’

2007-03-01T12:31:00.000Z

The Times
26 Feb 07
Frances Gibb, Legal Editor
Local authorities are seeking wide new powers to seize vehicles without a court order in a move that could affect thousands of innocent motorists.
A private Bill going through Parliament with minimal debate has been promoted by Transport for London and local authorities in the capital....more

Parents hit with school-run fines

2007-03-01T12:18:00.000Z

Evening Courier
By Shelley Borders
IRRESPONSIBLE parents parking illegally on the school run were hit with fines yesterday.
Police and parking attendants dished out £30 fixed-penalty tickets outside Rastrick High School for drivers dropping off and picking up their children in the morning and afternoon...more

Run out of town

2007-03-01T12:14:00.000Z

This is Cheshire
By Mark Hilditch
A NANTWICH woman claims she is being forced out of business by the town's car parking crisis.
Mum-of-two Amanda Pond, aged 41, is facing hundreds of pounds worth of fines after clocking up more than a dozen parking penalties in the past couple of months...more

Tourists steer clear of £700,000 parking fines

2007-03-01T12:12:00.000Z

The Scotsman
COUNCIL chiefs have been forced to write off £700,000 worth of unpaid parking fines run up by tourists.
The fines, issued on foreign-registered vehicles, will not be enforced because the owners cannot be traced. ...more

HALF OF PARKING TICKETS GO UNPAID

2007-03-01T12:10:00.000Z

Doncaster Free Press
MORE than a one in four fines handed out by parking wardens are withdrawn or not pursued by council bosses - and only half of drivers ticketed have actually had to pay up. ...more

Fines on way for blocking bin men

2007-03-01T12:08:00.000Z

This is Lancashire
By Telegraph newsdesk
MOTORISTS whose cars block Rossendale's refuse collection vehicles may get a fixed penalty notice in the future.
Inconsiderate parking disrupts the effective collection of refuse and items for recycling, particularly in narrow streets, and is the biggest cause of "missed bins" in the borough...more

400 parking fines issued

2007-03-01T12:01:00.000Z

Great Yarmouth Mercury
A STAGGERING number of tickets - nearly 400 - have been handed out to motorists who have fallen foul of a new residents' parking scheme.
The scheme which operates in the central and seafront areas of Great Yarmouth was only introduced at the beginning of February. ...more

Patients fined in parking blitz

2007-03-01T11:59:00.000Z

Express and Star
Patients and visitors who cause traffic misery by parking outside a Black Country hospital have been handed on-the-spot fines as part of a police clampdown.
Police Community Support Officers were yesterday blitzing drivers who dumped their cars outside Russells Hall Hosptal, Dudley....more

Parking fees funding blow

2007-02-28T16:42:00.001Z

Shophire Star
23rd February 07
Market Drayton has suffered a financial blow after it was revealed that the area is not benefiting from parking charge cash - despite being the only town in the district asking motorists pay up.
Thousands of pounds raised from parking charges will continue to flow into North Shropshire District Council’s coffers, despite demands that the money should be ploughed back into the community....more

Plans to stop the parking problems

2007-02-28T12:17:00.000Z

Wakefield Express
By Staff Copy
A 15-year campaign by Wakefield residents to stop police parking on a busy road may be about to pay off if plans for a traffic scheme are passed later this month....more

Fines clampdown 'will hit innocent drivers'

2007-02-28T09:56:00.000Z

Cars will be seized from innocents under new law

2007-02-27T12:20:00.000Z

London Standard
27/02/07
London: Innocent motorists in London face having their cars seized under a new law, a watchdog warned today.
Caroline Sheppard, the chief parking adjudicator for England and Wales, raised the alarm about the legislation being "sneaked through" parliament....more

Parking strategy for Somerset

2007-02-26T13:11:00.000Z

Chard & Ilminster News
By Joanna Glover
MOTORISTS in Chard, Ilminster and Crewkerne could see improvements on and off the roads with the introduction of the first comprehensive parking strategy for the area.
South Somerset District council approved the strategy last Thursday at a full council meeting in Yeovil....more

Leeds City Council parking fine shock

2007-02-26T10:49:00.000Z

Leeds Today
By Tony Gardner
Millions of pounds may have to be paid out by Leeds City Council because of wrongly issued parking tickets.
Ashley Finister challenged six tickets he received when he parked close to Leeds General Infirmary as he ferried his desperately ill son Jordan to the hospital last year....more

Parking space with £15,000 price

2007-02-23T13:38:00.000Z

BBC News
23rd Feb 07
An Aberdeen homeowner is offering frustrated drivers a compact parking place all of their own - for £15,000.
Jim Annand became the owner of the small piece of land when he bought a flat two years ago. ...more

Big Mac and fines for Leyland dad

2007-02-22T09:50:00.000Z

Leyland News
A father-of-two has blasted the parking policy at one of Leyland's most popular retail sites after a Happy Meal cost him £40 in fines.
Richard Stewart had a ticket slapped on his car while he was in McDonald's on Churchill Way. ...more

The strange case of Lord Loophole and the mystery driver in his speeding car

2007-02-21T13:12:00.000Z

Daily Mail
by CHARLOTTE GILL
When a policeman used a legal loophole to escape a fine for speeding, Lord Mackenzie of Framwellgate was full of self-righteous condemnation.
The Labour peer - a government adviser on crime - expressed outrage that the case was dropped because the officer in question claimed he did not know who was at the wheel at the time of the offence. ...more

Another fine mess for parking bosses as 200 tickets face axe

2007-02-21T09:33:00.000Z

The Scotsman
HAZEL MOLLISON (hmollison@edinburghnews.com)
HUNDREDS of parking tickets are set to be cancelled after a computer error meant residents failed to get their permit renewal reminders on time.
Around 1500 notices were not sent out in January - and residents say attendants "pounced" as soon as the two-week grace period was up last week. Those affected include pensioners who were shocked to receive tickets for the first time in their lives. ...more

Drivers face £600 bill for an in-car road pricing black box

2007-02-21T09:10:00.000Z

Daily Telegraph
By David Millward and Alex Berry
Last Updated: 1:51am GMT 21/02/2007
Motorists face a potential bill of more than £600 to fit a black box needed to make a full pay-as-you-drive road pricing system work, Whitehall documents have revealed.
A blueprint drawn up by the Department for Transport showed it could cost £62 billion to set up and £8.6 billion a year to run. ...more

Councils facing loss of parking fines after error

2007-02-20T08:31:00.000Z

The Herald
20 February 07
BRIAN DONNELLY and STEWART PATERSON
A LEGAL error may force more councils to waive millions of pounds in unpaid parking tickets if motorists appeal against the fines.
Wording on tickets issued by six Scottish councils between 1998 and 2006 could effectively invalidate them, if challenged, in the second error since some local authorities took over parking enforcement from the police....more

15,000 fall in number of parking fines issued

2007-02-19T16:44:00.000Z

The Scotsman
19 Feb 07
ANDREW PICKEN TRANSPORT REPORTER
(apicken@edinburghnews.com)
PARKING attendants handed out 15,000 fewer fines in the Capital last year despite patrolling scores of extra streets.
The drop has been mainly put down to motorists becoming more aware of the city's strict approach to parking offences. ...more

Borough worst for parking fines

2007-02-16T12:31:00.000Z

Ealing Times
By Benedict Moore-Bridger
EALING has given out more parking fines in one year than any other London borough - with a massive 55 per cent rise on the previous 12 months....more

Parking Tickets being overturned

2007-02-15T12:54:00.000Z

Men And Motors

If you've received a parking ticket recently you may be able to get away with not paying it.
Thousands of people are having their fines overturned as a result of a precedent-setting case which rendered tickets issued by a London council as void. ...more

Traffic wardens’ most-wanted targeted in parking operation

2007-02-15T12:29:00.000Z

Camden New Journal
PERSISTENT parking-fine dodgers were caught out on Wednesday when a sting operation left them motorless or seriously out of pocket.
Camden parking officers, the DVLA and hired bailiffs assembled at various locations around Camden throughout the day, looking for vehicles with outstanding tickets, those dodging tax and those with stolen or fraudulent blue badges...more

The £1 million parking ticket fiasco

2007-02-15T12:27:00.000Z

IC Coventry
THOUSANDS of invalid parking tickets worth more than £1 million have been issued to drivers in Coventry.
More than 34,000 erroneous tickets were handed out by traffic wardens in an amazing blunder....more

NCP contract is 'up for grabs'

2007-02-15T12:26:00.000Z

This is Lancashire
Exclusive By Gaynor Clarke
BURY Council will not automatically renew its parking enforcement contract with NCP in the wake of controversy over "insensitive" actions of some wardens.
The contract was awarded to NCP to run for five years, with the option to extend it for a further two years, but the council has decided to put it out for tender at the end of the initial period in October...more

COUNCIL BIN £6.5M PARKING FINES BILL

2007-02-15T12:24:00.000Z

Daily Record
A BUNGLING council have let meter cheats off with an estimate d £6.5million in unpaid parking tickets.
Transport chiefs in Edinburgh were forced to write off all debts on people fined before June 2006 because of a legal blunder....more

Council rapped over illegal parking tickets

2007-02-14T12:31:00.000Z

Manchester Evening News
Dan McMullan

A COUNCIL has been rapped by a national parking watchdog for issuing tickets illegally.
Oldham council now faces a flood of appeals from drivers demanding their cash back after communications engineer John Reeves' £30 parking fine was quashed. more

Ticket gaffe costs city £6.5m

2007-02-14T12:21:00.000Z

The Scotsman
ALAN RODEN
(aroden@edinburghnews.com)
UNPAID parking fines totalling around £6.5 million have been cancelled by the city council following a legal blunder.
Transport chiefs have been forced to stop chasing Edinburgh's worst parking cheats, leaving the authority with a massive financial black hole....more

Hourly parking rate more than minimum wage!

2007-02-14T12:19:00.000Z

Islington Gazette 24
nlnews@archant.co.uk

THE cost of parking is to soar by more than 25 per cent at many of Islington Council's bays - with the most expensive now set to cost a whopping £4 per hour. ...more

£6,000 parking fines for carers

2007-02-12T12:17:00.000Z

Reading Evening Post

Care workers who have racked up £6,000 in parking fines say they are fed up with not being able to park outside their clients’ houses. ...more

'Over eager' parking wardens pay penalty

2007-02-12T09:41:00.000Z

Lancashire Telegraph
By Sally Henfield
A COUNCIL is preparing to quit a controversial parking warden scheme after saying it is sick of dealing with complaints over "heavy handed" ticketing tactics. ...more

Parking tickets are ‘still valid’

2007-02-11T12:15:00.000Z

Oxford Mail
By Giles Sheldrick

Motorists handed fines by illegal immigrant traffic wardens working in Oxfordshire will not be eligible for refunds, it has been revealed....more

JPH visitors face parking fines

2007-02-05T12:08:00.000Z

Great Yarmouth Mercury
25 January 2007

VISITORS and patients to the James Paget University Hospital are ducking out of paying parking charges by leaving their cars in nearby housing estates and walking to the hospital.
A resident who lives on the Beacon Park estate says she's had enough of visitors to the hospital jamming up the estate to avoid paying parking charges. more

Councils gang up on the 'gas guzzlers'

2007-02-04T11:07:00.000Z

The Telegraph
By David Millward, Transport Correspondent
Last Updated: 12:35am GMT 04/02/2007

The crackdown on environmentally unfriendly cars looked like spreading nationwide last night with a number of town halls considering schemes which could triple the cost of parking permits. more

Parking fines soar to almost £100,000

2007-02-02T11:05:00.000Z

East Lothian Courier
By East Lothian Newsroom
2/2/07

ILLEGALLY parked motorists on East Lothian’s roads were fined almost £100,000 during 2006, the Courier can reveal.
Traffic wardens issued 2,864 fixed penalty parking tickets to drivers parked inappropriately, including those who left their vehicles on double yellow lines and in disabled bays. more

Here, there and everywhere: cars are destroying our lives

2007-01-31T12:14:00.000Z

Ham and High 24
editorial@hamhigh.co.uk
31 January 2007

RECENT articles in the Ham&High show how motorists are taking over ever more of our public space by continual guerrilla action.
People who use buses on main roads know how they are continually slowed down by having to wait for car after car to pass before they can rejoin the traffic stream from a bus stop. According to your recent article, Transport for London decided to do something about this by removing bus laybys on Falloden Way. Then motorists started colliding with buses. more

Parking fines went missing in the mail

2007-01-29T12:11:00.000Z

Mansfield Today
CAR park bosses say a mix-up with fines at Mansfield's Portland Retail Park was due to a batch of mail going missing.
The news comes just two weeks after Mansfield District Council's switchboard was inundated with calls from concerned residents who had received £100 fines through their letterboxes. more

Probe into parking problem

2007-01-29T11:43:00.000Z

Shopshire Star

Inconsiderate drivers are causing misery for residents across Shropshire as they dump their cars on the county’s streets to dodge parking charges.
Vehicles are being left on double-yellow lines, footpaths and in restricted bays by motorists flouting parking regulations. more

Bid to ban parking on roads

2007-01-29T11:42:00.000Z

Express and Star

Shoppers could find themselves with nowhere to park if plans to outlaw parking on a number of roads near a Stourbridge shopping centre get the green light. more

MP wants parking plans dropped

2007-01-29T11:41:00.000Z

The Argus
An MP has called for a council to abandon its plans for a controversial parking scheme.
Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, has written to East Sussex County Council to oppose the proposed parking regime for Seaford. more

Traders in parking plea

2007-01-27T11:44:00.000Z

Guardian-series
East London and West Essex
by David Jackman

TRADERS in Ongar are calling for a widespread review of parking in the town following complaints about parking in residential roads and the actions of parking attendants who are being blamed for affecting businesses more

IT glitch causes fines fiasco

2007-01-27T11:38:00.000Z

Ealing Times
By Benedict Moore-Bridger

HUNDREDS of letters demanding payment for parking fines have been wrongly issued by Ealing Council.
Last Thursday a computer glitch meant 250 "reminder notices" were sent out to car owners who had contested their parking fines in the last ten days. more...

City set to pocket extra £1.6m from new parking zone fines

2007-01-27T11:36:00.000Z

The Scotsman
ALAN RODEN TRANSPORT REPORTER

THE city council is set to rake in up to £1.6 million extra from parking fines after extending the Capital's controlled parking zone.
Almost 1000 motorists have been fined every month in the first two new parts of the zone - a third more than the council had predicted. more...

Greens and Lib-Dems back higher parking charges for gas guzzlers

2007-01-26T14:03:00.000Z

The Argus
By Lawrence Marzouk

Plans to penalise owners of gas-guzzling cars with higher parking charges are gaining pace after the Greens and Liberal Democrats backed the move. more...