SHIPLEY MP Philip Davies will meet the private company behind a controversial car park next week.

Bradford Council had run the Oastler Road, Saltaire, car park under lease from 2004, offering 20 minutes free parking, and earlier this year the lease was taken over by Birmingham-based Smart Parking.

But since then, many angry drivers have been stung with £100 fines, not realising Smart Parking now required them to log their car's registration for the free 20-minute stay.

Now Mr Davies will meet with Smart Parking on Monday demanding answers, claiming drivers have been "ripped off" by parking at the site. 

He said: "I am looking forward to thrashing things out with them, I have a lot of questions and I want answers.

"My constituents are being ripped off by the draconian fines they introduced, have put up inadequate signage and I want to know what they are going to do about it.

"It has also come to my attention that the land is not able to be used for a car park – there is no licence.

"This was the case when it was Council run too. No licence means no fines and they should be paying back these fines."

Smart Parking took over the running of the car-park in June from Bradford Council and changed the long-standing rules on parking.

Customers still receive 20 minutes free parking but only if they log their registration number and display a ticket in their vehicle. Many people were handed fines of £100 since the changes were introduced.

Smart Parking was ordered to shut it down and refund thousands of pounds in fines slapped on unsuspecting motorists.

Bradford Council took the dramatic step after receiving a host of complaints about the way Smart Parking was running the site.

The authority was able to step in after discovering that the patch of land had never legally been turned into a car park and was still part of the public highway.

The Telegraph & Argus have contacted Smart Parking today, but have yet to receive a response.