10 minutes grace at council car parks – a good idea?

There’s absolutely nothing very like the panic felt when rushing back to your vehicle to try and beat the parking meter.

And practically nothing very like the anger felt when you arrive at your vehicle a couple of minutes late only to discover it is currently been slapped with a ticket.

All that is about to modify though…

10 more minutes

Drivers in England will be provided 10 minutes’ grace before becoming hit with a fine if they keep as well long in council-owned automobile parking spaces.

The government has announced the grace period will kick in later this month, along with other measures created to quit councils generating income from parking fines.

Regional authorities in England have been beneath fire in current years after it emerged they had been collectively producing millions of pounds in profit out of parking fines – figures from the RAC Foundation show councils in England made a combined profit of £667million from on and off-street parking in 2103-14 alone.

The new measures contain:

• guidance for councils reminding them they are banned from “using parking to generate profit”


• a correct for residents and companies to demand – by a petition – that a council “reviews parking in their area”


• new powers for parking adjudicators so they can “hold councils to account”


• protection to stop drivers being fined right after parking at out-of-order meters


• a ban on the use of CCTV “spy cars” except in no-parking areas such as bus lanes and close to schools.

BEEN HIT WITH A COUNCIL PARKING FINE? HERE’S HOW TO APPEAL!

Pickles’ parking plan

Eric Pickles MP, communities secretary, announced the plans final year as portion of measures created to encourage us to return to our local high streets to do our purchasing and increase local economies.

Mr Pickles stated: “We are ending the war on drivers who merely want to go about their every day business. For also long parking rules have made law-abiding motorists feel like criminals, and caused enormous harm to shops and organizations.”

He added: “Slapping men and women with hefty fines is akin to criminalising shoppers and tends to make higher streets or parades no-go zones for drivers. More than-zealous parking enforcement and unreasonable stealth fines by post undermine the higher street.”

Safety initial?

On the flipside, there is an argument this legislation is being rushed by way of to curry favour with voters ahead of the common election.

And there are fears that the decision to drop CCTV cameras from zebra crossings could compromise pedestrian security.

Councillor David Sparks, chairman of the Neighborhood Government Association, mentioned: “We are concerned that government has rushed by means of today’s announcement and failed to fully seek the advice of councils on the detail of the regulation.”

He added: “Beyond the headlines, what is especially worrying is the detail of these proposals which could make roads significantly less secure for vulnerable pedestrians and inconvenience millions of motorists and commuters.”

What do YOU consider? A good idea or 1 that will be abused by motorists and affect road security? Let us know.

10 minutes grace at council car parks – a good idea?