A PARENT has hit out after being fined £100 after dropping their child off for pre-school at a church car park.

Disagreements have taken place following the introduction of a 20-minute cap and subsequent automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system and manual patrol parking enforcement at St John's Pre-school Nursery in Parkstone.

The car park has been ‘increasingly abused over the years’ and as a result the parking enforcement, operated by Creative Car Park, was introduced in November 2021.

It is alleged that the “over-zealous” ANPR system has been fining parents within seconds of exceeding the 20-minute free parking limit.

A concerned parent told The Daily Echo: “You’re given 20-minutes and then if you’re 20-seconds, or 30-seconds late you’re given a ticket.

Bournemouth Echo: The grey ANPR camera at St John'sThe grey ANPR camera at St John's

“I got a ticket for £100 two days before Christmas which I appealed and got reduced to £60, I appealed it again and got it reduced to £20.”

With increased cleansing and Covid-protocols in place including lining up outside the nursery, the concerned parent has said 20-minutes is simply not enough time to safely drop off their child.

They said: “They’re just picking on parents.

“This is enforcement for the sake of it and it looks like they’re just beating up the parents - all we’re doing is taking our kids there.

“One person even got four tickets.”

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Reverend David Price, vicar at St John’s Church, confirmed he liaised closely with the pre-school about the scheme and its introduction. He also stated that if parents know they are going to exceed the time limit then they can write their registration on a tablet in the nursery.

Despite this, it has been reported that parents are still given tickets.

“I want them to scrap it, refund all of the tickets and start again,” said the parent.

“I’d like to see a system where you put your car number in and even if there’s an error with the system then we don’t get a ticket.

Bournemouth Echo: Parents of pre-schoolers face fines Parents of pre-schoolers face fines

“I’ve had to start parking somewhere else and my wife comes with me, she takes our child in and I have to wait in the car - it’s like you’re going in with a stopwatch.

“It’s not on.

“We’re just doing what parents do, we’re taking our kids to school.”

However, Reverend Price insists that the new system was introduced “as a means to make life easier and safer for bona fide users”.

He said: “It is disappointing that some nursery parents feel 'picked on' or 'under a stop watch' because the aim of introducing the system for remote management of the car park was the opposite.

“Most users of the car park who have expressed an opinion consider the new system to have succeeded in its aim.

“I have dealt with emails from several parents/carers of children at the nursery, assisting them in their dealings with the company and people have expressed their thanks to me for helping and for correcting misunderstandings.”

The Daily Echo approached both Creative Car Park and St John’s Preschool Nursery who declined to comment.