Norman Baker MP Member of Parliament for Lewes constituency
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Contact Norman at:
Norman Baker,
23 East Street,
Lewes,
East Sussex,
BN7 2LJ.
Tel: (01273) 480281.
Fax: (01273) 480287.
Email: info
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MP Asks Police To Look Into Operation Of Polegate Car Park
Polegate MP Norman Baker has asked Sussex Police to investigate the charging practices of the company which runs the Shoppers' Car Park in the town. The move follows complaints that car owners are being clamped for allegedly parking for more than 2 ½ hours and as a consequence being required to pay £175 to have the clamp released, despite the fact that many have not in fact been parked there for that length of time.
Norman Baker is also unhappy that the company, Creative Car Park Management, is apparently able to access driver details from DVLA, and he is taking steps to raise this with the Information Commissioner responsible for enforcing the Data Protection Act 1998.
Norman says: "I frankly do not like the way the appropriately-named Creative Car Park Management is running this vital car park. To impose an excess stay charge of £170 seems to me to be wildly excessive. To then charge people this fee when they appear not to have fallen foul of the 2 ½ hour rule suggests incompetence at best. Because of the concern that has been expressed to me from a number of quarters, including Polegate Town Council, and elected councillors at all levels, particularly in relation to the improper use of penalty charges, I am asking the police to investigate this matter and have already spoken with Chief Inspector Rex Matthews to pass on my concerns.
"This car park is crucial to the well-being of the town, particularly its traders, so this has to be sorted out. The whole episode also underlines yet again how necessary it is for a town like Polegate to have a publicly run car park, and how it is a dereliction of duty on the part of Wealden District Council over many years that no such car park exists."