James Sunderland reports back following the impromptu car meets being held at The Meadows in Sandhurst.

“I have robustly represented these concerns with Tesco, Thames Valley Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley. I am pleased to inform you that Tesco has now confirmed that it will install Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras at the entrance to their car park.

“In April last year, Marks and Spencer reacted to reports of dangerous driving in the car park of The Meadows and installed electric barriers at the entrance to the car park closest to M&S to deter such incidents. The electric barriers operate outside of their opening hours of 8 am to 10 pm, but they do open at 5am to allow for delivery vehicles to enter. This has helped to discourage those wishing to cause antisocial behaviour from entering the car park by M&S.

“The new ANPR cameras will bring many deterrent benefits, including the monitoring of target vehicles, gathering of evidence and a £70 fine for any vehicle that exceeds the maximum permitted stay. Those shopping legitimately should not be affected.

“Whilst installation could take up to 3 months, Tesco understands the imperative and will expedite the process as quickly as possible. New signage will also be placed at The Meadows to inform customers of the upcoming ANPR installation and fixed penalties. The presence of ANPR cameras is a significant step forward in tackling noisy car meets.

“This means that the whole car park at The Meadows (a private car park) will have an effective deterrent against these impromptu car meets.

“When I took up similar representations for residents living next to Sainsbury’s at Birch Hill in Bracknell, ANPR cameras were also installed, resolving the issue.

“ Further, I am also pleased to report that Thames Valley Police have now acted in issuing tickets against anti-social drivers, and further action may be taken against those involved in recent incidents. It is important to continue to report anti-social driving to the police via 101 or on-line so that they can continue to understand the patterns to allow for more effective policing.

“Please be assured that I will continue to maintain regular contact with Thames Valley Police and the Police and Crime Commissioner to ensure that appropriate action is taken against anti-social drivers who drive irresponsibly or dangerously. A more visible Police presence is also needed locally to ensure that excessive noise and speed can be reduced on our roads.”

Report anti-social behaviour https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/.../report-antisocial.../