This year there’s been a lot of discussion about companies charging huge amounts of money for clamping parked cars if people stay too long.
Well, yesterday, a company attempted to set up a scheme charging cars £150/day to park in a street in Ventnor.
Alexandra Gardens is close to the town, sitting above the Winter Gardens and is unusual in that it’s a private road.
Attempt to charge £150/day
The Freeholder of one of the houses, number 8, engaged a Southampton company, Whites Car Parking Solutions Ltd to try and setup a parking scheme there, attempting to collect £150 per day for a car to park there – claiming that he owned all of the parking in the street.
VentnorBlog was called by concerned residents after the parking contractor had been stopped from putting signs down the road – outside the houses which residents insist are their private property.
In turn, the contractor called the police, who duly arrived and told the residents to step aside, to let the parking contractor attach his parking signs to their property.
Resident’s obstruction warning
When the street’s residents told the police that they thought the Contractor had no right to be on their property, they were told that if they tried to stop the signs going up they would be carrying out obstructions.
Their annoyance was compounded when told that if they removed the signs (from their own property), they could be committing criminal damage. This was despite the residents showing the Police officer Community Support Officers (PCSO) paperwork that they had a legal right over the land.
The residents told VB that were astonished that the Police would side with the Contractor and not them.
The Contractor fixed the sign to the pillars at the east end of the road and left. This was while the police officer PCSO stood-by, VB was told.
Charge rates
Below there’s a photo of the notice that was left behind, with the following rates
Private Vehicles – £150 per day
Commercials – £180 per day
Tow Away – £250 + Clamp release fee
As the parking company is based in Southampton, it’s not clear that the parking pound that the car would be towed to would be on or off the Island.
Yesterday we contacted both the Police and Whites Car Parking Solutions Ltd to get a comment. At the time of publishing neither have replied.
UPDATE
On the 15.Oct.2010 we got the following from the Police.
Statement on Alexandra Gardens, Ventnor dispute
Isle of Wight Safer Neighbourhoods East Inspector Bill Pinnell said: “Police can confirm they were called to Alexandra Gardens in Ventnor on the afternoon of Wednesday, October 13, 2010 to prevent a breach of the peace.
“Two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) from the South Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team went to the road where there was a dispute between residents and a parking company.
“The PCSOs remained impartial and advised both the residents and parking company staff to seek independent legal advice to help resolve their disagreements under civil law.
“Residents and parking company staff were also advised about the risks of taking their own action, which could prompt allegations of criminal damage.
“No breach of the peace or criminal offences were committed on Wednesday.
“It was not the role of the South Wight Safer Neighbourhoods team to resolve this dispute under civil law.”
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