A NEW parking scheme in Rossendale that has generated nearly £3,000 in fines for the local council has been deemed a success by business leaders.

Figures show that in Rawtenstall and Waterfoot, where the disc parking scheme was launched five weeks ago, 147 tickets have been issued with just 49 still outstanding.

Motorists, using town centre car parks, display discs showing the time they arrived and may only stay for the permitted time. For example, if a motorist parks in a two-hour spot at 7am they set the disc for 7am and must leave by 9am.

The scheme is designed to stop abuse of the no-charge system by parking all day. But despite motorists who don't display discs being punished, the news has been welcomed by civic and business leaders. Chamber of Trade chiefs, business owners in the Valley, and councillors all campaigned for the new scheme.

Clive Balchin, president of Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce, said: "We have said all along that there is no need for paid parking in Rawtenstall. It has worked well so far as there are always enough car parking spaces for shoppers and traders. And discs are easy to get hold of from shops throughout Rawtenstall and Waterfoot."

Brenda Wilkinson, of Rossendale Chartists, was fined £30 when she was caught without displaying her time-meter while at the last full council meeting.

But the local pressure group representative is in support of the scheme. She said: "I think it's a good idea. It was my own fault that I got caught because I forgot to display the disc. I thought about protesting about the charge but I realised there was no point and I just had to accept that I had made a silly mistake."

She added: "I went in and out of Rawtenstall on market day last week four times and each time had no problem with finding a car parking space. If I can do that it shows that the scheme is working because before this came into place that would have not been possible because all the car parks were clogged up."

The scheme has cost Rossendale Borough Council £1,250 in collection fees and £250 for printing the tickets - but netted the authority £2,926 in profit.

But Tony Vicars, North West spokesman for the Association of British Drivers, said if the council supplied adequate long stay parking people would not need to use short stay car parks and added: "If motorists who come to Rossendale are now going to be bounty hunted by parking wardens they will go to other areas where they feel less persecuted."