A FRESH wave of £70 parking fines have been issued at one of the UK’s busiest airports as bosses try to crack down on “illegal” pick-ups.
The restrictions were announced earlier this year to fight “inconsiderate and dangerous” stops but have proved controversial among local residents.
Newcastle Airport was named best in the nation in a recent vote and even won a World Aiport of the Year award for its category in 2023.
But not all is perfect in the North East as the local council has aired frustrations with passengers flouting parking restrictions in the area to avoid charges at the airport itself.
At the moment, passengers can park for free for 15 minutes in Short Stay 2, but this is a 2-4 minute walk from the terminal building.
Factoring in walking time, drivers would only have 7-10 minutes to meet the person they were picking up before the free parking ran out.
Alternatively, you can pay £4 for 10 minutes or £7 for 30 minutes at the express pick-up/drop-off car park.
But people living near the site have reported that some drivers have been parking on residential streets to pick-up and drop-off passengers rather than using the dedicated car parks.
A nearby B-road has apparently become known as a hotspot for the practice.
In response, the council announced in August that it would be turning the surrounding roads into “red routes“, banning motorists from stopping within the controlled zone.
While some objections were lodged, councillors have confirmed they will go ahead with the planned measures.
The controls will be activated this month, meaning that anyone stopping in the affected areas now faces a £70 fine.
This will be reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.
Double red lines will be painted on the designated roads from today, with enforcement set to begin on October 21.
Marion Williams, council cabinet member for transport, said: “We’ve had a number of safety concerns raised in relation to vehicles parking up on residential streets and roads close to the airport runway while dropping people off or picking them up.
“For residents this has meant putting up with noise and disturbance from vehicles stopping outside their homes to load and unload at all hours of day and night and often with engines left running.
“While there are double yellow lines in place on these roads they are quite often disregarded and therefore, following consultation, we have decided to put tougher measures in place to reduce the risk of incidents caused by illegal, inconsiderate and dangerous parking.”
A spokesperson for the airport added: “Following the completion of a public consultation process, Newcastle City Council is introducing additional parking restrictions on some roads immediately adjacent to the Airport and Callerton Parkway.
“These measures are in response to concerns from local residents regarding inappropriate and inconsiderate parking in the area and to improve the safety of such roads.
“The Airport is fully supportive of the scheme.”
