An unpopular plan to introduce ANPR cameras at a Falmouth beach has been scrapped “until further notice”, with a pay and display machine now live instead.

The owners of the Life’s A Beach Café at Maenporth posted an update on the business’s Facebook page this week to say that a new parking system had gone live on Wednesday (August 21).

This now involves a vehicle registration ticket machine, with the owners saying they had listened to the feedback of their regular customers.

Planning permission for an ANPR camera had been granted in July, on the second attempt of asking, with Cornwall Council’s central area planning permission agreeing to a 1.4m high camera bollard.

A previous application had been refused but the new proposal dropped signage as it met ‘demand consent criteria’. However, it did mean signs could be added at a later date.

Falmouth Town Council continued to object to the plan though, with or without signage, arguing that it was “a modest site, largely undeveloped and the character will be changed”.

Many regular beachgoers were also against the plans.

Image: N Chadwick/Geograph.co.uk

Now the café, which has been owned by leaseholders Leann Wright and her son James since April 2019, has posted to say: “From Wednesday 21st August 2024 our new parking system will be live.

“At this point and until further notice we have decided not to have ANPR operating at Maenporth. We have listened to our regulars’ feedback and feel operating as pay and display is a better solution at this current time.

“The ticket machine requires your vehicle’s registration to issue a ticket to display in your vehicle.

“Methods of payment include cash, card, Apple Pay, Google Pay and via the Ringo app.”

The café said that due to poor mobile phone signal at Maenporth, the café would be offering free public WiFi to download the Ringo app and make payments.

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“We will still have a crew member from Life’s A Beach Cafe on the car park for the main holidays, directing cars into spaces and helping with the new system, using the machine etc.

“The car park management company attendants will patrol the car park checking tickets so please make sure your ticket is displayed clearly to avoid any issues,” it added.

Car park charges will now be in place from 8am to 1pm, March to October. Winter parking will remain free and overnight parking is not permitted at any time of the year.

The café said between 5am and 8am there will be no charge in place, to allow dog walkers and early swimmers to enjoy the beach at no cost.

It added that anyone using the café to buy food and drink while parking at the beach would be refunded the cost of one hour’s parking, deducted from the customer’s bill when they spent a minimum of £10 in the café.

Customers need to provide a photo of their ticket to be eligible for the deduction.

Finally the café added: “If you have any questions or need any help with the new system please do not hesitate to ask us in the cafe.”