New bid to add ANPR cameras to car park in Kirkcaldy town centre

The land behind Wilkies is owned by Chorley based ParkingEye has won planning permission from Fife Council to install a car park management system which utilises automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) to monitor the entrance and exit of vehicles within the specified car park.

The site - which is accessed via the Esplanade, next to the Co-Op Funeral Parlour - has 25 spaces which were used by customers of the shop which closed last year as part of a pre-pack administration deal to save the Scotland-wide business. Wilkies had been in the town since 1986, after buying Bogie’s which traded from the same site since 1893. It was one of five stores to shut in the rescue deal.

A supporting statement, submitted as part of the application said: “The proposal seeks to provide management of the existing car park to reduce car park abuse and ensure that spaces are available for genuine site users.

“It will have a minimal impact on the local landscape character and no landscape elements would be lost as a result of the construction and installation of an ANPR car park management system. As the site is an existing car park, the new infrastructure will be installed in an area that already incorporates similar style features.”

The applicant said access and exit arrangements would not change due to installation of an ANPR system.

Councillors approved the application this week.