Wiltshire Council has issued only 57 penalty charge notices at the Trowbridge multi-storey car pick since the start of the year, it was disclosed this week.

The council, which manages the car park at St Stephen’s Place, has denied claims that it is clamping down on parking enforcement although 31 PCNs have been issued in the past week. 

Recent comments on social media seem to suggest the council is more strictly enforcing the two-hour free parking on the car park’s lower levels.

One person issued a warning to users earlier this week, saying: “Just a warning for those using the multi-storey.

“There are currently four parking wardens walking around the multi-storey car park.”

Steve Propert said: “I often see people drive out of the car park and drive straight back in, there is a no return for two hours clearly on the notices.”

Jen Hitchmough commented: “When I left at 5.15pm, the majority of cars on the two hours free levels had a ticket.”

Four parking wardens were seen on Monday and two were pictured by our photographer on Tuesday checking on vehicles.

Carl Ivin-Maddox said: “They were only checking the two-hour free levels.”

Fiona Hing said: “It's the lower levels that are two hours free parking. As you go high it becomes longer free hours parking time.”

There's only two hours free parking on the lower levels of the Trowbridge Multi-storey car park in St Stephen's Place.There's only two hours free parking on the lower levels of the Trowbridge Multi-storey car park in St Stephen's Place. (Image: Trevor Porter)

A Wiltshire Council spokesperson said that nothing has changed and that parking restrictions have always been enforced.

Wiltshire Council leader Cllr Richard Clewer said: “There has been no enforcement clampdown in St Stephen's Place multi-storey car park.

"Routine enforcement patrols took place on Tuesday and a number of Penalty Charge Notices were issued to people that had exceeded the free parking limit or parked across two bays, bringing the total issued since the start of this calendar year to 57.

"Two enforcement officers were patrolling as a new member of staff was being trained.

“We enforce the two-hour free parking restriction in this car park to support local retailers by ensuring that people visiting Trowbridge to shop can find a parking space.”

There are fears that Wiltshire Council is clamping down on parking in the multi-storey in line with private car park operators in the vicinity.

The Wiltshire Times has recently covered the introduction of ANPR cameras at the St Stephen’s Place Leisure Park, where users are now being given PCNs if they park there and then leave the site.

The car park is managed by UK Parking Control, and the site is managed by commercial estate agents Knight Frank in Bristol who have both so far failed to comment.

The ‘customer-only’ regulations are now being more strictly enforced after St Stephen’s Leisure Park was bought by the French firm Iroko Zen for £11.37 million in August.

Collier International, which manages the Spitfire Retail Park in Bradley Road, is also using ANPRs to clamp down on parking through its Exeter-based car park managers Premier Park Ltd.

The Shires shopping centre also uses ANPR cameras to monitor parking. PCNs are issued by its car park manager ParkMaven.

On all of the four privately-owned sites, the charges for failing to adhere to the restrictions are £100, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days of the PCN being issued.