A COUNCILLOR has said that putting automatic number plate recognition in more carparks could be the solution to solve growing car meets in Basingstoke.

In October last year resident Mark Burrows started an online petition to stop anti-social car meet ups in the Sainsbury’s car park in Wallop Drive.

Mark said that on an “almost nightly occurrence” at around 9.30pm residents in the area were bothered by “intense engine revving” as well as doughnut stunts, wheelspins and “loud unsociable music up to and often past midnight”.

After calling for swift action and the petition amusing over 200 signatures a permanent automatic number plate system was installed to deter the meet ups.

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During a crime and disorder joint scrutiny committee meeting held last week Brighton Hill councillor, Cllr Andrea Bowes said the problem has got worse with “no workable solution”.

She said there has been a "significant problem" with car meets at various locations including St Michael's Retail Park, Asda, Brighton Hill Playing Fields as well as further afield.

Cllr Stephen Reid, who backed the campaign for cameras to be placed at the Sainsbury’s in Wallop Drive and has spoken out about car meets in the past, has reacted to the news.

He said: “I think there could be a solution as long as the operators of the car parks and local representatives work together.

“In the case of the car meets at Sainsbury’s, to which the councillor referred, I spent some time identifying the operators (Mitie) and met with them and the Police. After implementing a temporary solution that didn’t succeed, they eventually agreed to install new parking regulations and a regime of fines, with enforcement in the form of automatic number plate recognition cameras. It appears that this has significantly reduced the problem.

“I would hope that a little determination coupled with goodwill on the part of the operators could produce a similar result at other locations.

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“They might not succeed if they try to implement a similar solution, but they will certainly fail if they don’t try.”

Cllr Bowes is hoping to see resources focus on antisocial behaviour as well as a “properly resourced plan to tackle the growing problems of car meets.”

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