No Asbos for clampers after motion defeated
ATTEMPTS to get Derby City Council to use anti-social behaviour orders to crack down on heavy-handed car park clampers have failed.
Labour group leader Chris Williamson wanted the authority to look at how it could curb private clamping companies.
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'anti-social' : Several drivers are aggrieved at the heavy-handed treatment they have received at Crompton Street car park
This comes after scores of drivers were clamped and charged in excess of £125 after being judged to have overstayed or parked over white lines at Crompton Street car park.
Councillor Williamson later revealed the car park did not have planning permission.
He put forward a motion at a full council meeting last night calling for the authority to consider using anti-social behaviour orders against such companies.
But his efforts were defeated by councillors, who said they would instead write to the Government, asking for new laws to be brought in, giving all local authorities more powers.
Several people who had been clamped by City Parks Management in Crompton Street said they felt disgusted by the council's move.
Ann Jagus, from Etwall, was charged £125 two weeks ago in Crompton Street after parking with a wheel touching a white line separating parking bays.
She said: "I'm disgusted we are branded criminals while this clamping company gets away with it."
Sara Burnett was also at the meeting. Her son was clamped in the car park on his 21st birthday.
She said: "This is an issue affecting Derby now and the original motion was about finding a way to deal with it locally for the people of Derby, but it seems only the Labour councillors wanted to support us."
Mr Williamson believes anti-social behaviour orders is one option which should be looked at
He said: "Using Asbos might seem extreme but when you hear some of the accounts of the way people have been treated, it does amount to anti-social behaviour.
"People have been threat-ened and felt intimidated and on occasions the clampers have concealed their identities."
His motion was amended by Liberal Democrats to remove reference to such orders.
Lib Dem councillor Les Allen, said: "We have asked legal officers about using Asbos and the response was to be cautious about such an approach."
A fellow Lib Dem, Councillor Frank Harwood, said he "sympathised" with the private car park companies who were trying to make a living.
"I don't think there would be this problem if people parked between the lines and came back on time," he said.
The amended motion was approved by councillors.
Mr Williamson said Tories and Lib Dems had failed to stand up for the people of Derby, saying: "My original motion is absolutely neutered."
24 Comments
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by John, Derby
Friday, November 20 2009, 3:34PM
“Gaz, I half agree and half disagree. I shouldn't be about politics, but it is. Cllrs Williamson and Banwait have jumped upon a very cheap and visible means of looking like champions of the public. You are quite right when you say it is about people who can't park correctly. That is all it should be about.”
by John, Derby
Friday, November 20 2009, 3:30PM
“So, let's get this straight. Some people are willing to council to risk legal action (that could be illegal in its own right) on behalf of a few people who cannot park correctly or get back to their car within a certain amount of time? Why should the council do this for the possible (yes, only possible) benefit of a few people who chose to park on private property and then not pay attention to the rules displayed there - and let the rest of us foot the bill? To cap it all Cllr Williamson boarded the bandwagon again to appear on Central News and claim that whilst the owners of the car park were 'operating within the law' they were not operatinng 'within the spirit of the law'. Hmmm... I wonder if the council act within 'the spirit' of the law and their rules. Bin open a few inches? Not in the place it should be? Miss the deadline of council tax by a day or two. I wonder if they'd be so flexible. I for one doubt it.”
by Chris, Derby
Friday, November 20 2009, 1:14PM
“Meadowhall is 6th largest shopping centre in the UK (139,355 Squ. metres) Westfield Derby is 14th (120,579 Sq metres).The latest Meadowhall television advert tells us that they now have over 12000 free parking spaces.
I do agree with you about the pay parking being extended to 800pm, this is a real deterrant to late shopping and to the 500 or so patrons of the Derby Playhouse Theatre, who need somewhere close by to park. Rather self defeating for a council that wants Derby to grow.Westfield has had serious access problems, the trafic lights and the openings onto Osmastn (via a bridge) and London Road are very badly planned, as is the new so-called bus station which will add to the access problems.
Rams fan,
I will agree with you on he point that if the Westfield development car park was free, it would soon fill up. This would mean that some of the other car parks would lose customers.Westfield has a surplus of spaces but it is the most convenient car park for all shopping on the south side of the city shopping areas.
My message is that the Crompton Street car park is neither required or desired as the City Councilhave confirmed in their Traffic Assesment document relating to the new Inner Ring Road "all future City Centre parking should be placed at junctions adjacent to the new road" to "avoid unnecessary traffic flow through the city centre" as it is with Westfield and Chapel Street.”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:59PM
“I think you got the worng end of the original stick Chris; my point was, is and remains that Westfield would be full by 08:30 every day if it were free to all, and with no provision left for occasional visitors like the shoppers for whom it was intended.”
by Chris, Derby
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:57PM
“Further to Meadowhall, My father was contracts manager for a development cpmpany who were responsible for fitting out 100 shops at Meadowhall. I spent over 200 hours there during is construction and it is a huge site. Visitor figures are 24 million per year since 1990 - so it has been a success from day one - Westfield has yet to prove itself. I agree that parking fees should be lowered by all providers in Derby and the City Council needs to do more to attract shoppers from Derby's suburbs insted of seeing hem shop at Meadowhall, Nottingham, Birmingham and Leicester.”
by Chris, Derby
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:48PM
“Firstly your comment was clearly suggesting that Meadowhall is remote so must be unused. (Meadowhall is in the middle of nowhere, that's why they can leave 12000 spaces available, plus the site isn't exactly prime real estate) This is NOT what is stated on any website about Meadowhall.
Before the NHS moved the hospital resources to the new hospital they were in negotiations with Westfield who have surplus car parking provision at their site and were actually offering 1000 spaces form their Surpus provision.
Another aspect on this car park issue is that a prevoius successful application to turn the Hippodrome back into a theatre had requirements placed by Derby City Council that "no further parkig should be provided in this area" and that "all theatre parking must be absorbed within the existing car parks around the city" (planning application approval September 2006).
The traffic statement for that application made it clear also that no further car parking provision is needed on that side of the city (documents available on the City Council planning website).
The application was never carried out due to an unpublicised sale of the building to its present owner, the building was never marketed! as proved by English Heritage's documentation.”
by ian, derby
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:40PM
“ehm, Meadowhall is also a park and ride site with access to the city centre, Sheffield Arena and Don Valley Stadium via Tram, train and bus. Ok the scales are vastly different but it is more of a comparison with somewhere like Meteor centre parking than westfield
I notice Chris didnt suggest the council car parks should be free? Personally I dont park in Westfield because of queues to get in and out and it is alot more expensive than say Abbey Street car park (or for that matter Crompton St)
Worst thing council did was extend pay parking to 8pm, the logic behind this is seriously flawed and derby is the only city I have ever come across where parking isnt free or heavily discounted after 6pm”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:28PM
“Chris, check your comprehension before commenting! I just checked everything on Meadowhall via three websites before using this as an example for a comment. Meadowhall is in the middle of an industrial outcrop, nowhere near the town centre and on what would be a whole pile of nothing if it hadn¿t have been built.
My point is simply that there is NO REASON TO PARK AT MEADOWHALL OTHER THAN TO VISIT MEADOWHALL WHEREAS IF WESTFIELD WAS FREE THE SPACES WOULD BE USED BY CITY CENTRE WORKERS.
I hope the use of caps helps you understand.”
by Chris, Derby
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:19PM
“Rams Fan check your facts before commenting! I just checked everything on Meadowhall via three websites before using this as an example for a comment. Meadowhall is a major development with over 24 million visitors per year and serves Sheffield,
which is much bigger than Derby, as well as serving the entire region. Whereas Westfields footfall of 20 million is based on estmates that count for the entire city, Meadowhall actually has a direct visitor count of 24 million shoppers per year since 1990, hardly what you describe as a remote and unused centre. 12000 free spaces - actually I just found another website update which shows it now has 18000 free car parking spaces. So do the research before making unsubtantiated claims.”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Thursday, November 19 2009, 3:17PM
“WIth the rate Lucy Carefree is privatising OUR roads with bus lanes for her chums Gaz, pretty soon any carpark at all in the town centre will be obsolete!!”