Campaigners oppose CCTV parking camera ban

CAMPAIGN groups have joined local authorities in warning against plans to ban CCTV parking cameras.

The Local Government Association (LGA) and the groups are opposed to Government plans to stop councils from using CCTV to tackle dangerous parking outside schools.

The cameras are being used to prevent drivers blocking bus lanes and loading bays and to stop pavement parkers posing a risk to disabled pedestrians.

The LGA says the ban will do little to reduce the number of tickets given to drivers breaking the law but would put schoolchildren at risk and worsen road safety.

Instead of a blanket CCTV ban, the LGA is calling for the Government to convene a working group of councils, charities, road safety campaigners and motoring groups to rewrite the current statutory parking guidance and revise the rules on the use of CCTV.

The call has been backed by a number of organisations including the National Association of Head Teachers, road safety charity Brake, the Royal National Institute for the Blind and the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

LGA economy and transport board chairman Peter Box said: "The groups all agree with councils that banning CCTV parking enforcement will put school children and disabled pedestrians at risk and worsen road safety.

"The Government has wrongly claimed councils are alone in wanting to protect CCTV powers but, in fact, they face strong opposition to a ban that is impossible to ignore."

A Department for Transport spokeswoman said: "The Government is committed to reining in over-zealous parking enforcement and unjust parking practices. It is not fair to motorists and needs to stop. That is why we have frozen parking penalty charges for the remainder of this Parliament.

"We are now looking at the responses to consultation that proposed a number of changes to make sure local authorities are not short-changing motorists and operate in a fair manner.

"These changes could see the end of CCTV being used for on-street parking, unnecessary yellow lines and a more common-sense approach when it comes to grace periods."

Local Government Minister Brandon Lewis said: "CCTV spy cars are just an excuse for councils to raise money from issuing parking fines on an industrial scale.

"Nothing we are proposing to do will prevent a parking warden or police officer issuing a penalty in the case of genuinely dangerous parking."

By Peter Woodman, Press Association Transport Correspondent