Nottingham Food Charity Forced to Relocate After New ANPR Camera Flags Volunteers

Volunteers from three Nottingham charities who have handed out roadside meals for more than a decade say a newly activated automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) camera in the city's pedestrianised "clear zone" has forced at least one group to relocate amid fears of fines.

What Happened

For 12 years Guru Nanak's Mission Nottingham, Food For All Nottingham and Sewa Day Nottingham have served free meals from the Castle Gate roadside inside Nottingham's clear zone. Recently the city council commissioned an ANPR camera that has been registering the charities' vehicles and issuing warning notices ahead of penalty charges.

Guru Nanak's Mission has been distributing food around Lister Gate for 12 years [BBC]

Volunteers say the camera, and the enforcement that follows, prevents them from parking to distribute food. They have been told they can only stop to load and unload, which makes serving the estimated 50–70 people who turn up each service considerably harder. As a result, some teams have started parking outside the clear zone and carrying food to the serving point, while Guru Nanak's Mission has moved its service to Norton Street Gurdwara outside the city centre to avoid fines.

Council Statement and Permit Process

Nottingham City Council says the clear zone must be enforced fairly and consistently and that the ANPR camera was installed at the request of Nottinghamshire Police because of a high volume of unauthorised vehicles and related incidents. The council says this step was taken to protect pedestrian safety.

Food For All Nottingham volunteers said they have had to halve the hot meals they provide in the city centre [BBC]

"The Automatic Number Plate Recognition unit is still in the first six months of issuing warning notices for first-time offences. After six months, all unauthorised vehicles utilising this route will be issued a Penalty Charge Notice," a council spokesperson said.

The council added that charities can apply for a dispensation permit to load and unload in the clear zone; the process carries a standard charge and there are no exemptions so the policy is applied equally. According to the council, three applications from charities in this area have been received: one has been approved and issued, while two remain pending because the council is awaiting further details from the applicants.

Voices From The Volunteers

Jean Panagamuwa, 45, chair of Guru Nanak's Mission, said the situation had "fundamentally changed" how the charity operates. "We are no longer allowed to drive down to drop food off and park. We had an informal agreement that allowed four cars to park each service, but that arrangement no longer appears to be recognised," she said. Panagamuwa described volunteers as "upset and quite emotional" and criticised slow, unclear communication while permit applications remain unresolved.

The bottom of Castle Gate is where the food charities provide hot meals and food for homeless and vulnerable people [BBC]

Naresh Patel, 55, a volunteer for Food For All, said the group serves anyone who needs a meal, not only people sleeping rough. He said volunteers have been trying to apply for permits but have not yet received paperwork that would allow them to park.

Background

The Nottingham Clear Zone, which covers Lister Gate and part of Castle Gate, was introduced in 1993 and has since been extended. It restricts vehicle access except for loading and unloading between 16:30 and 10:00.

Sewa Day Nottingham distribute hot meals, snacks and drinks to the homeless every Sunday in the city centre [Sewa Day Nottingham]

The charities hope the council will work with them to find a practical solution that protects pedestrian safety while enabling volunteers to continue serving vulnerable people. The council says it has been engaging with charities and processing permit applications.

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