PARKING LOUTS
‘If only people would use their brains,’ slam locals as council uses hundreds of traffic cones to control parking
Tourists made their feelings known online when locals started to blame them for the parking problems
A PRETTY Cornish village has been smacked with hundreds of ugly yellow cones in a bid by the council to stop problem parkers.
The popular holiday destination is visited by thousands of Brits every year but locals have become fed up with motors flooding the village's parking spots.
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Locals in the village of Polzeath have been told by their council that the cones have had to be put down because of problem parkers causing delays and backlogs.
The bright yellow markers have been used to stop tourists and locals alike parking on its main road - as rain has delayed double yellow lines being painted.
The glaring cones will remain spread across the village throughout the Easter holidays and while the wet weather dries up before they can paint permanent markings.
Senior beach ranger Andy Stewart, 54, who lives near Polzeath, said: "There used to be a single yellow line but that was removed so double yellows could be painted.
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"The weather prevented that from happening for quite some time then Easter hit and people were just taking advantage of free parking in a place that affects the flow of traffic.
"At times it can be unsafe so me and the parish council contacted the highways agency - they came out and deployed millions of cones.
"No one is at fault, the council aren't at fault, the Highways Agency aren't at fault, it's just one of those things - it's just nature doing its thing to make it complicated."
After the Polzeath Beach Ranger Service posted pictures of the cones on Facebook, it attracted comments from tourists and locals alike.
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One commenter penned: "It's a huge shame it's come to this. If only people would use the brains they were born with when parking."
While a second said: "It's been horrendous the past week. No room for buses and emergency services to get through."
'I'll get a ticket every day,' cries driver facing $500 fines for parking on own property - cops could be at his door
But visitors hit back - with one commenting: "I'm really not feeling very welcome to visit Polzeath anymore... we are not all idiots or inconsiderate."
Andy went on to explain the cones were a temporary solution while the council waited for the weather to dry up enough to paint double yellows down the street.
He also elaborated that the issue was not tourists vs. locals - claiming he'd spotted locals taking advantage of the free parking as well as visitors.
Andy said: "No one in particular is being targeted, to a certain extent I don't blame people for parking there.
How to fight an unfair parking fine:
You need to go to the company issuing the notice in the first place - this should be on the notice or ticket you get.
This could be from a private car parking firm, supermarket or other firm, but not the council or police (we've got more on how to appeal those below).
You'll need to tell them you're challenging the fine and why, showing any evidence if you have it. According to Popla this could be:
- A crime reference number if the vehicle was stolen
- Photographs, for instance if you think that the signage was inadequate
- Pay and display voucher, for example, if you say it was displayed and had not expired
- A witness statement
Your evidence can be images, videos or scanned documents but make sure they are copies as originals can't be returned.
You can use a to write to them.
You can take the if the company is part of a trade body called the British Parking Association (BPA).
If the company is part of the International Parking Community (IPC) you can appeal to the
Both of these are independent services. Unfortunately if the company is not part of these bodies you can't use the schemes.
You'll need the number from your original parking notice and your car registration number.
While you appeal, the parking operator may add additional fees for later payment as the notice is not suspended during this time.
These are the most common reasons for appealing:
- The car was stolen
- The car wasn't improperly parked as stated in the parking notice
- The amount being charged is incorrect
- Extreme circumstances prevented you from complying with parking conditions, for instance a medical emergency or car breakdown
If you are successful you won't have to pay the fine. If you're not successful you will have to pay, and this could include late charges too.
If you still don't pay the company after your appeal is rejected the company can take you to court.
The court can force you to pay the fine plus more money on top if you lose.
You can "pay under protest" and make a small claim to get your money back, but there's no guarantee and you'll have to pay a fee.
"It's not targeting a specific demographic, it's just solving a problem, and that's it.
"The priority of the beach rangers service and the two parish councils is safety, and maintaining the flow of traffic, and that's all this was about.
"With any kind of tourism comes a very small number of problems and this was one of them.
"Issues with residents vs. tourists is a Facebook thing - everyone assumes it's tourists causing problems but when I came into work I saw locals parking there because it's free for the day."
The National Highways Agency has been approached for comment.
PARKING MAD
This comes after a homeowner came up with a dirt cheap ingenious way to stop their neighbour parking on their side of the drive.
Elsewhere, this chap - who was fed up with a neighbour who continually parked in front of his home - has solved the problem after he "cracked the code."
Read More on The Sun
And finally, a mum who abandoned her car to feed her little-one has shared her anger over being hit with a £100 fine.
She says she was stuck in a giant queue as she tried to exit a Newcastle retail park.
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