Parking Services Charter

Allerdale Car Parks Charter

This is the Customer Charter of Allerdale Borough Council in respect of the Off-Street Public Car Parks which are owned and managed by the Council. It is intended as confirmation of the Council's core values and to its commitment to the highest standards of service.

• All car park defects reported by the public shall be checked within six working hours of the report being received at the Car Park Office, and where there is a risk to the public either a repair or appropriate remedial measures to make the area safe, shall be ordered immediately.
• No ticket machine shall be 'out of order' for more than three hours for a minor repair and that 95% of all minor repairs are rectified within 30 minutes.
• No ticket machine shall be 'Out of Order' for more than 24 'charging' hours for a major repair or vandalism, and that 90% of these shall be repaired the next working day.
• All lighting faults reported to the Car Park Office will be passed for repair immediately, with a target deadline for completion by the end of the next working day where the fault lies with the Council's lights or equipment.
• Patrols will take place several times a day, at irregular intervals on all car parks in any town during charging hours. (*)
• Random patrols and security checks will take place on non 'Pay & Display', peripheral and rural car parks. (*)
• All patrols shall inspect any car park visited for serviceability of equipment and condition of the car park, and shall report defects daily - and matters presenting a public risk immediately by radio or telephone, where these are noted. 
• All ticket machines on a 'Pay & Display' car park are clearly identified by signs and that each displays correct information concerning the tariffs and parking charges applicable to the car park where it is situated.
• All "Pay & Display" car parks will be swept every day and litter bins emptied at the same time.
• Non "Pay & Display", peripheral and rural car parks will be swept once per week and the litter bins emptied at the same time.
• On the main 'Pay & Display' car parks there shall be sufficient machines to ensure that there is always a machine in service and able to issue tickets correctly.
• Graffiti will be removed from machinery and signs within seven days of notification, with the exception of 'Racist' or 'Lewd & Offensive' remarks - which shall be removed immediately or as soon as is practicable.
• Customers will be treated with care and respect.
• All users in breach of the Council's requirements for use of a public car park shall be penalised.
• All persons damaging, or creating a public nuisance on public car parks shall be prosecuted whenever possible.
• Every 'appeal' against the enforcement of a Penalty Charge Notice  shall be treated individually and strictly upon its own merits, and that no Penalty shall rise to the full amount, where such an appeal is received within 14 days from the date of issue of the penalty, and that, in those cases, the Penalty shall be maintained at its lowest amount until the Council's decision has been made and passed to the appellant in writing.
• Every appeal shall be determined within ten working days, or advice given within that timescale when a decision may be expected.
• We will strive to maintain and improve our standards of customer service through careful monitoring.
• Our customers are kept informed about matters affecting the car park service and are consulted about public service issues.

(*) The purpose of 'Patrols' is to 'Regulate' a car park and to determine its fitness for use and seek to deter vehicle crime. Regrettably the Council will not accept responsibility for crime, damage or loss from any vehicle or to any user of its car parks except where this has resulted from an error, act or omission on the part of the Council or its staff.