Controversial parking meters in Bridgnorth’s Severn Park which were turned off following numerous complaints from motorists have been switched back on.

The decision to reinstate the meters, which charge drivers £2 a day to park at the site, has been made after a meeting between officials from Bridgnorth Town Council and operator Creative Parking Solutions.

The council had agreed to cover up parking meters in October saying it was embarrassed by the number of complaints about the new system, which photographs vehicles entering and leaving the Low Town car park.

A Bridgnorth woman refused to pay her parking fine after she overran the allotted free 20 minutes while picking her son up from rugby training.

Mrs O’Kane said a number of parents had been caught out following the council’s decision to bring in the parking meters.

Locum town clerk Anne Wilson said Creative Parking Solutions had now demonstrated ‘integrity and absolute accuracy’ with the system and said the council was confident the meters were working the way they expected.

“During the meeting we carefully investigated many of the alleged complaints, discovering the majority of drivers who received a parking ticket actually entered their own registration number into the payment machine incorrectly,” she said.

“However, it is unfortunate some people simply chose not to pay to park or stay longer than they had paid for.”

Members of Bridgnorth Rugby Club will be attending Tuesday’s town council meeting and chairman Peter Parkes said he hoped a deal could be thrashed out.

The parking system operated by Star Park – a division of Creative Parking Solutions – uses automatic plate recognition cameras, linked to payment machines.

Gary Wayne, chief executive of Creative Parking Solutions, said: “During the first two months of the system being in operation, over 14,000 parking payments were made generating £20,000 of revenue for the town council.”