Car Park ANPR cameras erected without planning
A popular Telford car park’s automatic number plate cameras and warning signs have been in position for six years without planning permission, it has emerged.
It is not necessarily good news for any motorists who were fined while parked near the KFC and Starbucks at Trench Lock, in Hadley, as a top lawyer says it is a ‘complex’ issue with “no automatic right to a refund.”
Now the managers of the car park have applied for retrospective planning permission to seek approval for the 14 signs on lampposts and two ANPR cameras which were installed on October 9, 2019.
JMW Solicitors, agent for London-based Creative Car Park, have told planners at Telford & Wrekin Council that the “application is a retrospective one with the development and installation already having taken place.
“The development has been installed in order for Creative Car Park to effectively manage usage of the car park.”
Planners have been told that access and parking at the site is restricted to customers only, and has been limited to customers “in order to ensure that the Trench Lodge’s car park is only used by patrons of the car park.”
The ANPR cameras allow for entry and exit times to be captured as part of the site and if a given vehicle is not allowed to make use of the KFC site, then they will be issued with a Parking Charge Notice.
The agent adds: “Due to the nature of the site, it is important that customers do not overstay their parking time to allow for more footfall to spend at the KFC site.”
The signage directs motorists that the land is private and visitors must obtain a parking permit.
Solicitor Nick Freeman, dubbed “Mr Loophole” for his successes at challenging prosecutions did not mean it is necessarily good news for drivers who want to challenge their parking charges.
Mr Freeman, of Manchester-based Freeman & Co Solicitors said it is a “complex area of law” and there is “certainly no automatic right to a refund.”
Planners at Telford & Wrekin Council will be making decisions on two applications at a later date.
One of the applications is for the installation of two ANPR cameras with a reference TWC/2025/0738
The other is for the display of 14 non-illuminated parking warning notice signs with the reference TWC/2025/0739
Both applications are available to view and for comment on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning portal.
