Church installs ANPR parking cameras with fines issued to non-believers

A Catholic church fitted state-of-the-art number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to stop non-believers from using parking bays. The Holy Family Catholic Church based in Maidstone, Kent warned anyone using the spaces without attending the church will be hit with fines when cameras were installed earlier this month. Road users must now register their vehicle's number plate inside the church upon arrival to avoid facing penalties.

Residents were previously allowed to use the car park but a recent increase in traffic due to a building project has seen the access revoked. Work to build a set of brand new homes across the road is ongoing, with parents even using the church spaces to pick up their children from a nearby school. Father Desmond Mbidoaka said the car park was “never intended for public use” with locals simply “developing a habit” of stopping there.



He said: “'We sympathise with residents who previously used both the council park and our car park that was never intended for public use. “Some residents had developed the habit of parking there without permission, particularly after losing the council park space.” ANPR cameras scan vehicles when they enter a car park , taking a note of all registration numbers that have stopped in the area.

If motorists don’t enter their details in a tablet located inside the church, their number plate will be quickly flagged up. In a newsletter issued to churchgoers, road users were warned that those found not to be following the new rules will be hit with fines. The letter read: “The cameras for the controlled parking have been installed and the system is now live.

It is vitally important that parishioners register their vehicle with the parish. “Parishioners with unregistered vehicles, or visitors to the parish, will need to register their vehicle on the tablets being provided in the church and hall. Failure to do so will result in a parking fine.

” However, a local resident stressed that traffic in the area had become a lot worse recently. She explained: “It's become a nightmare when it's school time now or during the day. Cars are left on both sides of the road and you can see buses are struggling to get through when it's busy.

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