A CORNWALL councillor has raised serious concerns over plans to transfer management of nearly 20 car parks across the Duchy to a private operator, warning the move could ‘tarnish Cornwall’s image’ for visitors and unfairly penalise locals.
Under the new scheme, Cornwall Council has agreed to lease a number of car parks in popular destinations including St Ives, Fowey, Tintagel, Newquay, Saltash and Launceston to Corserv, a company owned by the council, but operating at arm’s length.
The five-year deal, which includes a break clause after two years, is set to begin in July and will see Corserv implement automated number plate recognition (ANPR) technology to monitor and enforce parking rules.
The decision has provoked strong opposition from local Labour councillor Kate Ewert, who represents the Rame Peninsula and St German’s.
While her division’s car park in Cawsand was spared from the handover following a successful campaign by residents, Ewert remains critical of the broader policy and fears the consequences for communities and visitors alike.
Cllr Ewert said: “We all hear these stories of private operators that are essentially mercenary – the way they reach after people for non-payment of fees even if they’ve gone over by 30 seconds or they’ve put in a digit wrong on their number plate.”
She warned that such aggressive enforcement tactics could leave a lasting negative impression on tourists.
“It doesn’t make Cornwall a very welcoming place if people are coming to some of our tourist towns and villages and then getting fined extraordinary amounts,” she added.
Cllr Ewert also challenged the principle of outsourcing public assets to private management, saying: “It’s a mistake for us to give over any of our assets to private operators, we should not be doing that.”
Cornwall Council has defended the arrangement, arguing that private firms are allowed to use enforcement technologies, such as ANPR, that councils themselves cannot deploy under current regulations.
A spokesperson for the council stressed that enforcement will be monitored closely in collaboration with Corserv to ensure penalties are correctly issued.
“The car parks have been leased to Corserv for a five-year term with a break clause after two years,” the spokesperson said. “Working with Corserv, we will monitor the car parks during the contract. Any decision around bringing the car parks back under Cornwall Council management would be for Cornwall councillors to consider.”
Corserv, for its part, insisted that fairness would be at the heart of its approach.
A company spokesperson added: “We want to ensure our car parks are managed fairly and enforcement only carried out when it is clear drivers have not paid the appropriate fee or adhered to the terms and conditions. Any service provider operating on our behalf will work within this criteria and we will monitor the contract to ensure parking charge notices are correctly issued.”
Despite those reassurances, concerns remain that the new model could prioritise revenue over community trust - a fear Cllr Ewert says Cornwall cannot afford to ignore.