AA urges BCP parking crackdown to only target ‘rogue’ drivers
The AA says a trial of higher parking fines in Bournemouth should focus on dangerous illegal parking, rather than penalising drivers for minor offences
The AA has called for a controversial summer parking fines trial in Bournemouth to focus solely on “rogue parking” offences, after ministers raised concerns about how the scheme was implemented.
The trial, introduced by BCP Council and approved by the Department for Transport, saw higher penalty charge notices imposed across parts of Bournemouth during August 2025.
The initiative aimed to tackle illegal parking and encourage visitors to use designated car parks during the busy holiday season.
While BCP Council argued the scheme reduced congestion and improved road safety, the AA claims the local authority applied the tougher penalties too broadly, resulting in some motorists receiving London-level fines for relatively minor parking infringements.
The criticism has now been echoed by the Government, with Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander questioning the council’s handling of the trial.
In a statement, Alexander said Department for Transport officials had recommended several measures to improve the robustness of the trial’s analysis and interpretation, but that the advice had not been fully followed.
“In supporting BCP’s August 2025 trial, my officials suggested a number of steps to strengthen both the robustness of the analysis and interpretation of findings,” she said.
“This advice was not followed completely. Moreover, while BCP shared early drafts, the final report was published without further engagement with DfT officials. This must not be repeated.”
Any future approval for the scheme, she added, would be subject to strict conditions and closer oversight by the department.
Responding to the Government’s comments, AA president Edmund King said the organisation’s longstanding concerns had been validated.
“The AA called the council’s behaviour ‘unacceptable’ and a matter of ‘overreach’,” he said.
Mr King argued that motorists who used official car parks but committed minor infractions, such as parking over a bay line or failing to correctly display a ticket, should not face the same penalties intended to deter dangerous or obstructive parking.
The AA is now backing a revised trial but insists higher fines should be reserved for serious offences linked to illegal and disruptive parking, while standard £70 penalties should continue to apply to routine parking violations.