Private car parks are a bad look - councillor

Councillor Kate Ewert says it is a mistake for the council to hand over control of any car parks

Plans for a private operator to manage about 20 car parks in picturesque parts of Cornwall will give a bad impression to visitors, a councillor has said

Cornwall Council said the sites would be handed over in July and it argued a private firm could use cameras to improve enforcement and increase revenue.

However, councillor Kate Ewert said having private car parks was a mistake and would give Cornwall a bad reputation.

The council said it wanted to ensure the car parks were managed fairly and would monitor them to ensure fines were being correctly issued. Corserv, which was chosen to operate the car parks on a five-year lease, said it would manage them fairly.

'Essentially mercenary'

The previous administration decided to bring in a private operator because, unlike local authorities, they are able to use automatic number plate recognition cameras for enforcement.

Nearly 20 car parks, including ones in Newquay, Tintagel, Porthleven, St Ives and Fowey, will come under new management.

However, the council's car park in Cawsand, in Ewert's division, will not be transferred following a campaign by residents.

The councillor, who represents the Rame Peninsula, said: "We all hear these stories of private operators that are essentially mercenary and the way they reach after people for non-payment of fees even if they've gone over by 30 seconds or they've put in a digit wrong on their number plate.

"It doesn't make Cornwall a very welcoming place if people are coming to some of our tourist towns and villages and then getting fined extraordinary amounts."

Ewert said the car parks should remain under the council's control.

"It's a mistake for us to give over any of our assets to private operators - we should not be doing that," she said.

Robert Niblett has been visiting Cornwall on holiday for more than 50 years

Robert Niblett, who lives in Nottingham and has visited Cornwall for the past 55 years, was cautious about the change.

"It's a bit disheartening," he said.

"You've got the cameras and intimidation of that going on. It's a bit threatening and a bit worrying at times."

'Managed fairly'

A Cornwall Council spokesperson said: "The car parks have been leased to Corserv for a five-year term with a break clause after two years.

"Working with Corserv, we will monitor the car parks during the contract. Any decision around bringing the car parks back under Cornwall Council management would be for Cornwall councillors to consider."

A spokesperson for Corserv said: "We want to ensure our car parks are managed fairly and enforcement only carried out when it is clear drivers have not paid the appropriate fee for parking or adhered to the terms and conditions in place.

"Any service provider operating on our behalf will work within this criteria and we will monitor the contract to ensure parking charge notices are correctly issued."