Holidaymakers using Bristol Airport have returned to find their cars damaged and with unexplained mileage after parking in unofficial ‘airport’ car parks.
The local council has now stepped up efforts to clamp down on this practice, which has been “blighting” the countryside and causing problems for locals. North Somerset Council’s intervention follows concerns that fields near Bristol Airport were being used as makeshift car parks for thousands of vehicles. This was not only causing issues for the local community but also impacting holidaymakers who were unaware their cars were being left at these “unauthorised” sites.
Some of these vehicles had even been abandoned in the open on local roads without any security measures in place. Bristol Airport funds a Planning and Parking Enforcement officer to address the parking issues around the airport. In June last year, the airport contributed £50,000 towards hiring an officer for 12 months, with an additional £50,000 set to follow to ensure the role.
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Among the successful actions taken by the officers was the clearing of a plot near Hyatts Wood Road, which had been overrun with parked cars. Thanks to council intervention, this agricultural field, capable of accommodating 1,500 cars, has now been cleared.
Enforcement notices were issued at 10 different fields, meaning these sites have permitted development rights but can only be used for a maximum of 28 days per year. After this period, usage would become a criminal offence.
These include: A field near Newditch Farm, which can park up to 560 cars; Land south of Bridgwater Road, which can hold over 1,900 cars; Land west of Bridle Cottage, which can accommodate more than 900 cars.
Additional probes have been conducted at a number of alternative sites. Part of this included halting parking on a parcel of land, which has now been restored to its previous state and settling an agreement that demands the replanting of three protected trees that were felled pre-2014 to make room for parking.
Earlier this year, North Somerset Council’s Trading Standards bods urged passengers jetting off from Bristol Airport to keep their wits about them when securing airport parking online due to dodgy dealings by these unscrupulous car park operators.
This caution followed a series of gripes relating to local car parking services that had left holiday-goers high and dry and their motors in jeopardy. Fuming customers who availed themselves of such services came back to find the companies couldn’t locate their vehicles, be it temporarily or in some cases, permanently lost.
Council hotshot Matt Lenny, director of healthy and sustainable communities, stressed: “It’s all about making sure you’re confident that the provider is good before you start and it’s all about what you do before you book. Read the terms and conditions, make sure you’ve looked at some of the reviews. We would ask people to look for the Park Mark, the symbol of the British Parking Association.”
Bristol Airport and the Council are set to hold a meeting with parish councillors to discuss areas of concern, with a further parking meeting scheduled later this month for representatives from all local parishes to address major hotspots.
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