CORNWALL Council will be removing the pay on exit barrier system from Millpool car park in Looe on Wednesday, March 19.

The car park will remain open as normal throughout the day as the barriers are removed.

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “If you’re planning to park in the car park after the barriers have been removed, you’ll need to buy a ticket from a pay and display machine before leaving your vehicle in the car park.

“Parking tariffs will not be affected by the change in the way you pay to park.”

The Millpool car park is one of six car parks in Cornwall which have reverted to pay and display at a cost of £42,487 replacing barrier systems which were installed at a cost close to £1-million according to an FOI request.

The request revealed that it cost taxpayers £375,725.47 for the conversion of the Looe car park to become pay on exit, with a further £11,937.36 now being spent changing it back to pay and display.

The reasons for the change are varied, the council explained. Feedback from drivers suggested that the barrier-controlled car parks were not accessible for everyone; there was also a safety issue with instances of tailgating at barriers, where drivers seeking to avoid paying for their parking drove close to other vehicles as they exited the car park resulting in collisions.

The barriers at the car parks were also found to be susceptible to technical and hardware failure, as well as vandalism, the council added.

The council said: “Technology has developed since the pay on exit system was first introduced, with JustPark allowing drivers to extend their parking sessions remotely.

“Regular car park users are also able to benefit from discounts through JustPark multi-use sessions and resident season tickets.”