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Mr Loophole to take on council
18/ 7/2007

DUBBED `Mr Loophole' for his success defending the rich and famous against driving offences, lawyer Nick Freeman has a new fight on his hands - to beat a £6,400 parking bill.

The solicitor has accused Manchester council of `greed' for charging him to park in his own private spaces outside his Oxford Court offices in the city centre.

Mr Freeman's knowledge of the legalities of motoring is legendary - he even apparently takes the Road Traffic Act to pore over while on the beach on holiday.

But, like millions of other motorists, it seems Mr Freeman, who drives a black Mercedes SLK, is furious at the charges to simply park his car - because it is on land that he already owns.

He said it is like a parking attendant coming to your house and saying you have to pay to park on your own driveway.

The £6,400 bill is for four spaces at £800 per year, backdated to include last year.

Ominously for the council, Mr Freeman, from Knutsford, Cheshire, is now looking into the law books again and seeking legal advice to challenge the charges.

He said: "I spoke to a member of the council's business rates services asking why we are having to pay these astronomical fees, and I'm still waiting for a call back.

Disgraceful

"I think it's disgraceful we are being hit with this additional tax.

"I already pay rates on the building I own in Oxford Court and now I'm being asked to pay £6,400 for four car parking spaces.

"It's sheer greed on behalf of the council, and a number of us are now seeking expert advice to check its legality.

"Even though I've paid the bill, I wrote saying it was made without prejudice and in no way accept the liability that is claimed."

But Manchester council said that Mr Freeman's bill was not its fault.

A spokesman said all private parking spaces had a rateable value, set by the Inland Revenue, and councils do not keep the money but simply collected it on behalf of central government.

What do we get for it? Well, the police come out if the alarm goes off (but not if it keeps going off), the Fire Service rush along if required but apart from this, not a lot. We're out in the country so there are no streetlights, pavements etc. and we have to pay for all waste collection.

the Fire Service rush along if required

And send you a big bill if you're fire alarm goes off and it's a false alarm - I believe £500 was the rate in Manchester a few years ago!

The idea was that the valuation for business rates applied to car park spaces provided for staff would be increased to a punitive level. The company would then pass this charge on to employees to avoid the cost hit and thus discourage them from driving to work.

This is typical ivory tower Government thinking. Various things would happen:
- staff would park on surrounding roads (annoying residents) to avoid the employer charge leaving perfectly good car parks empty.
- employers would not pass on the cost thus negating the whole scheme.

I seriously thought about scrubbing the lines off my car parking area and redesignating it a yard.