THE town council in Newquay is pushing to get the green light to take over car parks to help generate income and keep charges down.

Newquay Town Council is proposing to transfer the freehold of Towan Headland car park and Watergate Bay car park from Cornwall Council.

Mayor Drew Creek has written to Cllr Dan Rogerson, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for transport, to get his support. He argues the town council will be able to operate the car parks more efficiently.

Cllr Creek has also pointed out the town council has a track record of operating car parks successfully after increasing the income at its South Fistral car park by 20 per cent year on year by reducing parking costs since taking over the facility from Cornwall Council.

It follows Cornwall Council holding negotiations with Treveth about how the Towan Headland car park will be managed in the future as its contract is coming to an end.

A new parking regime is due to be put in place as the outsourcing of the car park to private parking firm Initial Parking based in Birmingham failed to stop van owners turning the area into an annual summer campsite after an ANPR system was introduced.

There has been a barrage of criticism about the effectiveness of the ANPR system as campers sleeping in their vehicles have been sticking tape on their registration plates to ensure they do not receive a penalty charge notice and have caused antisocial behaviour.

Many locals have received a penalty charge notice as they are unsure what the new rules are that have been introduced.

Cornwall Council previously scrapped plans to lease 19 of its car parks, including Watergate Bay car park, to Corserv Solutions, an arm’s length company, following a backlash.

Newquay Town Council is keen to take over the freehold of Watergate Bay car park as it sees it as a “strategic car park.” The authority would like to offer free winter parking there and is open to the idea of splitting any profits generated during the summer season with Cornwall Council.

Cllr Creek said: “The town council has shown over the past few years we can run car parks more efficiently and for the benefit of our community more than Cornwall Council has in the past.

“For example, Cornwall Council wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds on new car park entry and exit then removing them years later.

“I insisted back in 2021 that we reduce car park fees to 20 per cent to those of Cornwall Council at the time making South Fistral car park the cheapest in town. Since then, car park fees in Cornwall Council car parks have gone up drastically but we have kept ours fixed.

“As Mayor I have had no end of complaints from residents and visitors alike regarding the ANPR cameras and antisocial behaviour at Little Fistral and I would like to resolve this by taking control of this important site which was mismanaged by the last administration. “Watergate is also a strategically important site for locals and visitors and would like to see it free for locals in the winter as it’s always been.

“We would leverage that by potentially offering to share profits with Cornwall Council in the summer. I look forward to working with Cllr Rogerson on this. Newquay’s car parks should be working for its residents.”

Newquay Town Council made an expression of interest in the Pentire Headland and car park during the consultation process, but Cornwall Council deemed the Cornwall Heritage Trust as the “preferred partner.”