b

the parking authority.

1

Where, in the case of a stationary vehicle, a parking attendant has reason to believe that it has been allowed to remain at rest in any of the circumstances in which a penalty charge is payable under this Act, he or another person acting under his direction may fix an immobilisation device to the vehicle.

8

In this section “relevant authority” means the parking authority.

4

The grounds are—

a

that there were no reasonable grounds for the parking attendant concerned to believe that the vehicle had been permitted to remain at rest in the parking area in circumstances in which a penalty charge was payable;

b

that the vehicle had been permitted to remain at rest in the place where it was by a person who was in control of the vehicle without the consent of the owner;

c

that the place where the vehicle was at rest was not in the parking area;

d

in a case within subsection (1)(d) above, that, by virtue of an exemption given by section 70 of this Act, section 69 did not apply to the vehicle in question; or

e

that the penalty or other charge in question exceeded the amount applicable in the circumstances of the case.

1

The functions conferred on the parking authorities by this section shall be discharged by them through a joint committee (“the Joint Committee”) which has been set up in pursuance of arrangements entered into under section 101(5) of the Local Government Act 19724 and of which the parking authority and at least two other local authorities are constituent authorities.

2

In subsection (1) “local authorities” means authorities which are county or district councils in England or county or county borough councils in Wales in whose areas permitted parking areas or special parking areas have been designated under Schedule 3 to this Act.

3

The parking authority shall—

a

with the consent of the Lord Chancellor appoint persons to act as parking adjudicators for the purposes of this act in relation to the parking area;

b

provide or secure the provision of accommodation and administrative staff for parking adjudicators so appointed; and

c

determine the places at which such parking adjudicators are to sit.

12A

The Road Traffic (Parking Adjudicators) (England and Wales) Regulations 19995 shall apply to the parking area as they apply to the areas designated by the Orders listed in the Schedule to these Regulations.

8

Any order made under subsection (2), and any regulations made under subsection (4), of this section shall apply with necessary modifications, including in particular the substitution for references to a London authority of references to the parking authority, in relation to the recovery of Part II debts payable in relation to the parking area.

1

In this section and sections 66, 69 to 74, 78 and 79 of, and Schedule 6 to, this Act—

• “immobilisation device” has the same meaning as in section 104(9) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;

• “the Joint Committee” has the meaning given by section 73(1) of this Act;

• “the parking area” means the area designated as a permitted parking area and as a special parking area by the Road Traffic (Permitted Parking Area and Special Parking Area) (County of Lancashire) Order 2004;

• “parking attendant” has the same meaning as in section 63A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984;

• “parking authority”—

  1. a

     in relation to—

     1. i

        a parking place provided or authorised under section 32(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, or designated under section 45 of that Act, or

     2. ii

        a vehicle that is or was stationary in such a parking place,

     means the authority (Lancashire County Council, Burnley Borough Council, Chorley Borough Council, Fylde Borough Council, the Council of the Borough of Hyndburn, Lancaster City Council, the Borough Council of Pendle, Preston City Council, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Rossendale Borough Council, South Ribble Borough Council, West Lancashire District Council or Wyre Borough Council) by whom the parking place was provided, authorised or designated, and

  2. b

     in relation to any other place, or a vehicle that is or was stationary in any other place, means Lancashire County Council;

• “penalty charge” means a penalty charge which is payable by virtue of paragraph 3(1) and (2) of Schedule 3 to this Act;

• “prescribed” means prescribed by regulations made by the Secretary of State;

• “vehicle hiring agreement” and “vehicle-hire firm” have the same meanings as in section 66 of the Road Traffic Offenders Act 19886 (hired vehicles).

1

A local authority shall keep an account—

a

of their income and expenditure in respect of designated parking places for which they are the local authority and which are in the permitted parking area; and

b

of their income from additional parking charges (within the meaning of section 74(6) of the Road Traffic Act 1991) received by them in respect of vehicles found within the special parking area and the expenditure incurred by them in relation to that area by virtue of any provision of Part II of the Road Traffic Act 1991 as it applies in relation to that area.

1A

As soon as reasonably possible after the end of each financial year the local authority shall forward to the Secretary of State a copy of the account for that year.

1

If a vehicle is removed from the parking area in circumstances in which an offence would have been committed but for the provisions of paragraph 1(4) or 2(4) of Schedule 3 to the Road Traffic Act 1991, the local authority shall be entitled to recover from any person responsible, such charges in respect of the removal, storage and disposal of the vehicle, as they may require.