Green field gravelled over – during the night – to become illegal Bristol Airport car park. Not an isolated incident
An illegal Bristol Airport car park has appeared after green fields were gravelled over during one night. Neighbours living close to the airport say just months after two unauthorised car parks were closed down, another has been created in what was a picturesque field. North Somerset Council confirmed the former field, which had around 100 holidaymakers cars parked on over the weekend, did not have permission and they are investigating. The access to the field, near the busy A38 may not be designed for this volume of vehicles. It appears that car parking businesses “hop from one location to another without any regard for planning laws or the health and safety of others.” A resident said: “The residents living nearby now have the view of a car park and comings and goings all night, in what was a field.” The Council said: “”People need planning permission to build car parks. However in green belt locations, such as this, the parking of cars would normally be inappropriate development.”We can take enforcement action by serving an enforcement notice requiring the inappropriate use to cease. Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the council could start legal proceedings.” The Council shut down two unauthorised car parks in the area in January 2016, and they closed over 40 unauthorised airport car parks near Bristol airport in the past four years. Gatwick has similar problems.
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Green field gravelled over to become illegal Bristol Airport car park
15.3.2016 (Bristol Post)
Green field gravelled over to become illegal Bristol Airport car park
A illegal Bristol Airport car park has appeared after green fields were gravelled over during the night.
Neighbours living close to the airport say just months after two unauthorised car parks were closed down; another has been created in what was a picturesque field.
North Somerset Council confirmed the former field, which had around 100 holidaymakers cars parked on over the weekend, did not have permission.
It is opposite the A38 junction with New Road between Hailstone cottages and Ashford Road.
Nearby residents said the car park had been created overnight on Friday and North Somerset Council confirmed it was investigating.
One said: “These businesses seem to hop from one location to another without any regard for planning laws or the health and safety of others.
“The access to this field from the very fast and often very busy A38 is not designed for this volume of vehicles.
“Look at the huge amounts of money spent to improve road safety nearer the airport – it just doesn’t make sense if businesses like this are able to just rip up greenbelt land and do what they want.”
Another added: “The residents living nearby now have the view of a car park and comings and goings all night, in what was a field.”
A spokesman for the council said: “We are aware of this site and are currently investigating.
“People need planning permission to build car parks. However in green belt locations, such as this, the parking of cars would normally be inappropriate development.
“We can take enforcement action by serving an enforcement notice requiring the inappropriate use to cease. Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the council could start legal proceedings.”
The council shut down two unauthorised car parks in the area in January this year after a planning inspectorate agreed; they were an inappropriate use of greenbelt land.
The council issued enforcement notices to car park owner Gregory Wedlake last year relating to unauthorised car parks in Backwell. One was on land to the north of Coombe Dale, Potters Hill, and the other at Hyatts Wood Road.
The notices stated that the use of the land for parking vehicles was inappropriate development and he was given 14 days to comply with the decision.
“We take the issue of inappropriate development in the green belt very seriously and have successfully taken enforcement action against a number of unauthorised car park operators in the past,” the council spokesman added.
Enforcement notices have been made on illegal car parks on land across Downside, Backwell, Winford and Felton.
More than 40 unauthorised airport car parks near Bristol airport have been closed down by North Somerset Council in the past four years.
Passengers are warned to check the credentials of airport parking operators before making a booking.
This time last year the council had in excess of 30 active enforcement notices in relation to illegal car parks around Bristol Airport.
However, in the last five years only one operator has been prosecuted by the authority.
Parish councils have said the problem has only got worse and some are considering funding their own enforcement officers because of complaints from residents about anti-social behaviour.
Bristol Airport recommends booking parking on its authorised sites, for all those travelling.
The airport has a number of different car parking options, where car parks are fitted with CCTV, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), a secure fence and are monitored 24 hours a day.
It has a customer service team constantly on hand to help.
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There are similar problems around Gatwick. Someone living near Gatwick commented:
Earlier:
Illegal Gatwick Airport car park to pay more than £50,000 for turning land into 800 spaces
By Flora Thompson
DIRECTORS of an illegal airport car park have been ordered to pay more than £50,000 for turning land into 800 spaces.
Imran Shahid and Tariq Wasi, the directors of Airport Parking Limited, were prosecuted after converting land at Lower Hollow Copse in Copthorne into an unauthorised car park for Gatwick in 2014.
They stored the cars of holidaymakers travelling from the airport but did not get the necessary planning permission.
A number of people complained so Mid Sussex District Council’s planning enforcement team issued a stop notice.
The directors ignored the notice and continued to trade at the site so the authority took the pair to court.
Mr Shahid and Mr Wasi pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the stop notice. They were each handed a fine of £3,000 at Chichester Crown Court on October 29 and their company was fined £100. They were also told to pay a £120 victim surcharge and the district council’s £9,500 cost.
The pair will also have to pay nearly £34,578 under the proceeds of crime act because the pair had benefitted for 11 days of business after ignoring the council notice.
In separate legal proceedings, the company pleaded guilty in August to eight offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations act because the website said cars would be parked securely when they were left unlocked in fields.
They were fined £6,000 by Crawley Magistrates Court for the offences.
Councillor Andrew MacNaughton, the district council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “This is the first time that we have used the proceeds of crime act and it has sent a clear message. You will not be able to profit from ignoring planning regulations.
“Planning laws are in place for a reason. They protect the local environment from inappropriate development and give the people who will be affected by the scheme a chance to have their say. I hope this prosecution shows that if you try to bypass the planning system we will take action and pursue the matter through the courts if necessary.”