AN angry councillor has called for Tendring to resign its membership of the British Parking Association over the “predatory” practices of other car park operators.

Tendring councillor Richard Everett took up the fight on behalf of motorists who were slapped with £60 fines at the Ravensdale car park, off North Road in Great Clacton.

Motorists were left outraged after being fined by Smart Parking, which operated the site, even though it was advertised as free parking.

Small print stated a registration number had to be entered to validate the free parking, which was branded as “misleading” by critics.

Smart Parking previously said it was a member of the British Parking Association and follows its guidelines strictly.

It is claimed that more than 400 parking tickets were issued by Smart Parking and about 250 of those are being pursued by Debt Recovery Plus.

Mr Everett has put forward a motion to Tendring Council’s next council meeting, calling on it to resign from the association in protest.

He said: “I want the council to put on record its disquiet at the actions of predatory parking companies in the Tendring district and organisations that are no more than apologists for them.

“We should protest formally to the British Parking Association about its wholly inadequate response to complaints made by this council regarding the actions of Smart Parking and Debt Recovery Plus relating to the Ravensdale car park – and resign from the British Parking Association by not renewing our membership.”

Last month Clacton MP Giles Watling backed proposals for new laws to clamp down on “scam” parking companies and raised concerns over fines that were handed out at the Ravensdale car park in the House of Commons.

The Government outlined its support for the bill and detailed how it wants to stop rogue firms from issuing fines and accessing driver data – effectively forcing them out of the industry.

Mr Everett, who represents the Rush Green ward, added: “We should champion the concept of local authorities licensing private parking companies and their activities – or at least the establishment of a single, genuinely independent regulator for the private parking sector that has no connection with the wider parking industry.”

Tendring Council, which runs a number of off-street car parks, confirmed that it is currently a member of the British Parking Association.

Smart Parking previously said: “When parking on private land we would remind motorists to always read the terms and conditions of use before deciding to park.”