Wednesday, 29 January 2020 11:25 By Daniel Clark, Local Democracy Reporting Service Share on Facebook Share on Messenger Share on Messenger Share on X Share on Whatsapp The ticket machines in Paignton are new. A Devon council has blamed ‘human error’ for putting the wrong charges on new parking machines near a beach. The signs on new ticket machines installed in Marine Drive, near Preston Sands, Paignton, listed higher charges than the approved rates for some stays. A 30-minute ticket was listed at £1 instead of 60p and one hour was £1.50 instead of £1.40. The charge for 1.5 hours was listed as £2.50 instead of £2.40, and six hours was listed as £7.50 instead of £7. The mistake came to light after an inquiry from the Local Democracy Reporting Service about why the signs on the machines did not match the figures in the Traffic Regulation Order which introduced the charges. That is a legal document setting out the council’s powers to levy the charges and carry out enforcement. A reporter noticed the diifference after visiting Marine Drive on Monday. A spokesperson for Torbay Council said the wrong figures had been listed due to “human error” and the signs had been corrected. The spokesperson said: “On Thursday 23 January we introduced new pay and display parking machines on Preston seafront, to bring the area in line with other seafront parking zones in Torbay. “Unfortunately the wrong charges were initially placed on the machines, however as soon as we noticed the error on Tuesday 28 January, we replaced the signage with the correct charges. “We apologise to anyone affected by this error and you can request a refund via our website https://forms.torbay.gov.uk/MachineRefund .” Preston councillor Chris Lewis said: “Mistakes happen, and they have corrected it. “With such a controversial plan to put meters there, it’s a shame they didn’t get it right in the first place.” He said the parking bays had been largely empty because local people would not pay to visit the beach in the winter. The Conservative councillor said he would be monitoring the use and asking for reports on the amount of parking income. If it was lower than expected he would be asking for free parking to be restored. Local residents have complained that the charges will deter people from visiting the seafront. They say it will drive parking onto nearby residential streets and reduce trade for local businesses. The charges have been introduced after a delay last year following a mass protest. Torbay Council says the charges will bring Preston into line with other seafront areas and be fairer by increasing turnover to allow access for more people. A council spokesperson said: “A decision was made in October 2019 to introduce parking charges on Marine Drive in Preston, which is a prime seafront location and popular tourist attraction. “There are a number of reasons for this. The parking charge brings it in line with other seafront parking zones in the Torbay area, particularly nearby Paignton seafront which is already an on-street pay-and-display parking area. “It also makes it fairer because rather than people parking first thing and leaving their cars there all day, it means more residents and visitors will be able to park and enjoy the seafront. This is particularly the case in the summer. “It also means more disabled drivers will be able to park there – Blue Badge holders will be able to park there for free and as it is anticipated there will be a higher turnover of bays. “There are other parking options available nearby, there are a number of limited 1 – 2 hour parking spots as well as a car park nearby. “We recognise there was some local opposition to this but we want to ensure we have a fair and consistent parking policy across Torbay.” The correct charges as listed in the Traffic Regulation Order are: Up to 30 minutes 60p Up to 1 hour £1.40 Up to 1.5 hours £2.40 Up to 2 hours £3 Up to 3 hours £4 Up to 4 hours £5 Up to 5 hours £6 Up to 6 hours £7 All day £10 Overnight (available 6pm to 8am) £3.50
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