A FINES amnesty has been offered to shoppers and town centre workers caught out by Colne’s controversial new parking regime.

Last week the main Dockray Street car park was converted into a maximum two-and-a-half hour stay, controlled by Pendle’s disc parking system.

Borough and town councillors had urged Parkwise wardens to adopt a softly, softly approach in the first month of operation.

But Pendle’s Colne and District Committee was told of a rash cases where attendants have swooped on unsuspecting charity champions and the sick.

Coun Jerry Stanford, of Laneshawbridge Parish Council, said one motorist had been fined while taking his elderly mother to the nearby doctor’s surgery, after parking in a disabled bay.

Another had stopped briefly while donating goods to the Pendleside Hospice.

Town council chairman Dorothy Lord said she had also been approached by a local haidresser after one of his regular customers from Accrington had struggled to find a shop stocking parking discs, and had also been ticketed while trying to track down a disc.

Coun Lord added: “This lady might never return to Colne and I wonder how many more people this scheme is going to cost us?” Fresh posters, advertising where parking discs are available, have been delivered this week. Coun Tony Greaves said he did not believe assertions that Parkwise wardens were not on financial incentives to generate extra revenue for the scheme, managed on behalf of Lancashire County Council.

He added: “I think we should pass a resolution that anyone who has been ticketed in the first month of the scheme should be sent a warning letter and let off the fine.”

Councillors agreed to the fines amnesty and asked for a survey of local shops to ensure enough parking discs were available, and signs placed around the car park advising drivers of their availability.

Coun Graham Roach added: “Parkwise should be instructed not to go for the easy pickings.

"There are a number of streets in Colne which are heavily congested and have parking problems.”