North Cornwall’s Conservative MP Scott Mann has slammed private parking firms for issuing ‘unfair fines’ and refusing to withdraw parking charge notices.
He said that after looking into cases brought to him by constituents about fines and PCNs (parking charge notices), many were unfair or brought in error.
One of those who approached the MP for help was an elderly forces veteran in their 80s, who got fined after entering and leaving a car park upon discovering all the disabled spaces were taken.
Further, Mr Mann said that similar situations had happened to individuals coming to North Cornwall for their holidays, with parking operators, according to the MP, having shown no leniency when claiming that the primary reason for their fine was their ‘unfamiliarity with the area’.
This, along with incidents where some have been fined when parking machines were out of order, has led the MP to call on parking firms to ‘play fair’.
He also called on private parking operators to consider that many of those being fined are elderly and struggle with mobile apps, particularly if left with no alternative when a parking machine may be out of order.
The demand for private parking operators to play fair comes amid ongoing scrutiny of how the companies operate and how this particular sector can be better regulated to promote best practice as well as protecting users from unreasonable fines and debt recovery charges.
Speaking from Westminster, Mr Mann said:
“I’ve been sent many emails recently asking for my intervention with fines and PCNs that have been issued to constituents and visitors to North Cornwall.
“After looking into the cases, I’ve found that many of them are quite unfair or have been issued in error. One of my constituents, who is an ex-forces veteran in her 80s with limited mobility, was issued a £100 fine for entering a car park and attempting to find a disabled space, then leaving because they were all taken.
“Other people have contacted me because they have been issued similar fines when they found parking machines inoperable. The companies refuse to show any initiative or, in some cases, speak to the people involved.
“I am calling on private parking firms to ‘play fair’ and consider that many of the people they are sending PCNs to are elderly and struggle with mobile apps when the machines are not working.
“Likewise, those who are visiting often don’t know the area very well and receiving a demand for £100 is not a nice way to end their holiday in North Cornwall.”
A spokesperson for the office of the Conservative MP for North Cornwall also detailed further on the extent to which his team are trying to intervene in cases brought to them by constituents.
They said that alongside intervening in cases brought to them by residents by writing to the private parking operators directly, there was an ongoing consultation into how to better regulate the private parking sector.
This includes a call for evidence as part of plans to regulate the industry, the fees charged and the issuance of debt recovery fees.
The spokesperson said: “Scott Mann’s office has dealt with hundreds of cases relating to car parking charges over the past few years. On many occasions, they have been forced to write to the companies directly and request that the charges be removed.
“Earlier this year the government issued a call for evidence as part of plans to better regulate the private parking sector, including considering options for private parking charges (issued for a perceived breach of a car park’s rules) and debt recovery fees. The measures considered are part of developing a code of practice, as required by the Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019, which will ensure greater regulation of the private parking industry.”
