A Wirral car park where motorists with disabilities have been receiving fines despite displaying their Blue Badges is operating without planning permission, a Wirral Council spokesperson has confirmed.
Dozens of residents have taken to social media since the car park, at Cherry Tree shopping centre in Liscard, was taken over by Smart Parking Ltd in August.
A new payment system brought in by Smart Parking Ltd requires all vehicles to register so when their number plate is scanned they can tell if they have paid for their parking time.
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This also includes those with blue badges, but people have criticised the signposting of this information saying it has led to fines being "handed out like confetti."
A local Facebook group, Smart Parking Cherry Tree Centre, was set up and which now has over 700 members with volunteers helping people to fight the charges.
A spokesperson for Cherry Tree centre later apologised to those who had been affected and said refunds would be processed to those who sent in confirmation of their blue badges.
Local councillor and Wirral Council leader Janette Williamson said she has been speaking with the operators to find a resolution and ensure there are "no more heavy handed fines going forward".
Following a meeting with fellow ward councillor Daisy Kenny and a representative of the operators, a number of measures were agreed.
These include the operator having two attendants on site to register blue badge holders, updating the main sign to clarify the procedure for registering parking, and an agreement that "any unjust fines to disabled Blue Badge holders will be refunded when appealed."
However, after members of the Smart Parking Cherry Tree Centre group submitted a Freedom of Information request to Wirral Council last month, it has emerged the operator does not have planning permission for the cameras and signs they are using to manage the car park.
A spokesperson for Wirral Council confirmed that the ANPR cameras and advertising signs require planning permission - but no application has been submitted or approved for the car park.
The council is currently unable to comment due to the upcoming byelection in Oxton ward.
A Smart Parking spokesperson told the ECHO: "Smart Parking recently took over the lease for car parking management at Cherry Tree Shopping Centre.
"In so doing, our aim is to make sure that customers and visitors always have a place to park and that when identified, parking abuses are correctly challenged.
"We are currently in the process of working with Wirral Council to ensure that the car park has all of the correct permissions so that we can continue operating for the benefit of customers and the local economy."
Cherry Tree shopping centre was also contacted for comment.
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