Hexham: No planning permission for car park's cashless switch

Changes to payments at Maiden's Walk led to fears fewer customers would use nearby shops

A car park's switch to cashless payment, which saw a number of users fined due to a technical issue, did not have the required planning permission.

The Maiden's Walk car park in Hexham, Northumberland, serves shoppers for Marks and Spencer and B&M.

Northumberland County Council said it had written to Adderstone Group, based in Newcastle, which owns the facility, to "make them aware" of the breach.

The firm said it would now seek any required consent.

The issue was uncovered by Scott Dixon, a consumer rights expert, originally from nearby Prudhoe.

He submitted a Freedom of Information request to the council after his parents were issued with a fine after having used the car park.

'Open the floodgates'

In it, he asked if the cameras and signs used by the automatic number plate recognition system had been given planning permission.

Mr Dixon said the news they had not been granted permission would "open up the floodgates" for people to lodge appeals against the charges "on the grounds they were issued unlawfully".

A number of drivers were issued with penalties on the weekend the new system was introduced.

The changes also meant disabled parking, which was previously free, must now be paid for.

The switch led to claims shop workers feared for their jobs because customers would be put off using the facility.

The Adderstone Group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service it introduced the changes because cash machines posed a security risk, were costly to manage and prone to breakage.

A spokeswoman said: "We cannot understand why this car park is being singled out.  The signs and lamp posts have been in place for many years.

"As a responsible developer, we will of course seek any consents that are required."