Daniel Adams, a local businessman from Clevedon, is facing substantial legal costs after losing a High Court challenge against newly introduced parking charges in his town.
Mr Adams, who owns Stationery House, personally funded the court case following North Somerset Council’s decision to impose charges on three Clevedon car parks. The council had conducted a public consultation as required before implementing the charges, but accidentally provided an incorrect reference number for responses, resulting in his objections not being properly considered at the time.
Representing himself, Mr Adams argued that this procedural error undermined the fairness of the consultation process. However, the High Court ruled that the charges could remain as the objections he raised would not have altered the council’s decision. Mrs Justice Steyn DBE stated, “I conclude that the council would have implemented the TRO without modification if the two objections submitted by the claimant had been correctly allocated and considered by the council. The procedural failure has caused no substantial prejudice to his interests.”
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Reflecting on the ruling, Mr Adams said, “I believe it was right to hold North Somerset to account for this. I am concerned, however, that the judgement will act as a precedent to local authorities across the country, allowing them to treat public consultations as a tick box exercise to deliver a decision they have already made.”
He expressed disappointment after investing eight months of self-funded effort, emphasising his motivation was not personal gain but the public interest in a town where he works and lives. Mr Adams also criticised the parking charge policy as “short sighted and ill thought out,” highlighting its detrimental impact on the community which is now becoming apparent. He added that the council is now pursuing him for an “eye watering sum in costs.”
The parking charges currently applied at Marson Road and Great Western Road East and West car parks are set at £1 for the first hour, £1.50 for two hours, £2.50 for three hours, and £3.50 for all-day parking at the Great Western Road sites. Charges apply from 9am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday.
At a North Somerset Council meeting on 14 July, Councillor Luke Smith (Clevedon West, Conservative) described the charges as “largely failing.” Fellow Conservative Councillor Michael Pryke (Clevedon Walton) questioned why the council proceeded with the charges before the court case was resolved. However, Cabinet Member Mark Canniford (Weston-super-Mare Hillside, Liberal Democrat) defended the council’s position, stating, “We do not feel we will lose the case.”
This legal challenge was not the only controversy surrounding parking charges in Clevedon. The council had planned to introduce on-street charges in Hill Road and nearby areas but withdrew the proposal in April after Clevedon Town Council threatened legal action. North Somerset Council leader Mike Bell (Weston-super-Mare Central, Liberal Democrat) commented that a legal battle between the two councils would be “a scandalous waste of public money.”
In 2024, the council voted to implement parking charges in Clevedon, Nailsea, and Portishead. Mr Canniford underlined the importance of these measures, stating, “This is vital if we are to balance our books and safeguard essential council services.”
Mrs Justice Steyn DBE, who made the parking charges ruling, was also the judge in the high-profile ‘Wagatha Christie’ libel trial between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney in 2022.