AROUND 90 per cent of drivers who challenged parking and bus lane fines issued by Basingstoke and Deane Council are successful, according to new figures.

Data compiled by the BBC shows that over five years, in 90 per cent of appeals lodged with the borough council, the fines are cancelled.

This is the highest in the country of the figures the BBC received via Freedom of Information requests from 245 UK authorities. The next highest was Christchurch City Council, in Dorset, with just over 80 per cent while the average was around 40 per cent.

In Basingstoke and Deane, the figures showed of the 12,804 fines that were challenged between 2012 and 2017, 11,575 were cancelled though the council says this percentage is now going down.

Cabinet member for communities and community safety Councillor Simon Bound said: “We consider each formal appeal carefully, taking into account individual circumstances and have always viewed parking enforcement as a way of education rather than punishing motorists.

“Nearly three quarters of the penalty charge notices we issued were in our town centre pay and display car parks. The main reasons for cancellation are failing to display a valid ticket, permit or blue badge.

“Towards the end of last year we installed new parking machines in our car parks and this has enabled our car parking enforcement officers to focus more on on-street and inconsiderate parking through both an education and enforcement campaign, working with residents, local groups, police and our community safety patrol officers.

“As a result of this shift in focus to meet residents’ needs, we have already noted a reduction in the number of penalty charge notices that are successfully appealed. Between October and December 2017, 25 per cent of the penalty charge notices issued were subject to an appeal and of those 62 per cent were allowed”

Councillor Martin Tett, transport spokesman for the Local Government Association, told the BBC: “As these figures confirm, people who want to challenge a parking fine have access to a clear and effective appeals process. Councils have to strike a difficult balance when setting parking policy, to make sure that there are spaces available for residents, high streets are kept vibrant and traffic is kept moving. They also need to ensure that emergency vehicles can get access to incidents quickly.”

RAC spokesman Simon Williams also said to the BBC councils should put right the issues that lead to people being given “erroneous” penalties in the first place.