A PARKING company has been urged to refund fines issued at Westgate Shopping Centre, Baildon.

MPs Stephen Metcalfe and John Baron, who represent the area, called on Smart Parking to refund all money made from parking charge notices between July and November.

Mr Metcalfe and Mr Baron have been strongly critical of Smart Parking’s running of the car park after numerous residents and shoppers claim to have been fined despite paying for parking and that payment machines and systems do not work correctly and are unclear, leading to the unfair fines. The MPs claim the firm has handed out fines at a rate of two thousand per month.

They met with the company’s boss last week in parliament, and have now sent the company ten requests to fix the problems.

They include an extension of the ten minute grace period to allow more time for customers to leave the park after paying, improve the signs for the cameras and boundaries, a clarification on overnight tariffs and ensure no one is fined for entering and leaving without parking.

They also want Smart Parking to review the procedure and culture of charge appeals and establish a separate procedure for vulnerable people.

They have called for a refund of all money made from parking charges made between July 26 and the middle of November when the British Parking Association completed an investigation into the firm.

Smart Parking installed an ANPR parking management system which monitors cars entering and exiting the car park in July, which users claim has led to incorrect fines.

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Following the BPA investigation, Smart Parking made changes to the management mechanism which the firm claimed decreased the amount of people ‘abusing the car park’.

Stephen Metcalfe said: “I, along with John Baron MP, remain concerned about the parking operation which continues to damage the reputation of Westgate shopping centre in Basildon. However, having now met the Chief Executive of Smart Parking along with John Baron, I feel they are now engaging constructively with the many serious concerns people have.”