Telford parking loophole in line to close
It has been revealed that Telford & Wrekin is among more than 20 local authorities where motorists run only a small risk of getting a fine for parking illegally.
The council has no civil parking enforcement powers from the Government, which means there are no council traffic wardens issuing tickets in the area and responsibility instead lies with police officers.
Moves are under way to reverse this situation after council bosses and the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion negotiated a deal that will see up to £200,000 provided by the PCC, which would free up police officers’ time to catch criminals instead.
Telford & Wrekin’s neighbourhood services assistant director Angie Astley said: “The leader of the council has already committed, subject to the outcome of public consultation planned for this summer, to apply for civil parking enforcement powers before the end of this calendar year.
“West Mercia’s police and crime commissioner has also agreed to provide up to £200,000 of transitional funding to reduce any financial impact on local council tax payers of these powers transferring from the police to the council.”
If the shift gets the go-ahead a business case would also have to be submitted to the Department for Transport and any transfer of power to the council would not happen until next summer at the earliest.
Across the country there have been complaints that motorists are parking on double yellow lines and in bus lanes.
Out of 327 authorities in England 21 have still not received civil parking enforcement authority.
The rest are North Warwickshire, Babergh, Cherwell, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Forest Heath, Gosport, Halton, Huntingdonshire, Isles of Scilly, Kettering, Mid Suffolk, Rother, South Cambridgeshire, South Oxfordshire, St Edmundsbury, Suffolk Coastal, Vale of Whitehorse, Waveney and Wealden.
Responsibility
Mr Campion said: “Almost everywhere in the country, we have seen parking enforcement move away from the police and responsibility for it transferred to councils.
“The change would deliver better services to local communities and would free up considerable police resource. I know that parking is an important issue for all our communities.
“Civil enforcement would mean for the first time a whole team solely dedicated to that issue would be in operation across Telford and Wrekin. It will help prevent problems and make sure they are resolved quicker where they do occur, to the benefit of local residents and businesses.”
Motorists in neighbouring Shropshire towns and villages paid more than £1.13 million in parking fines over the last three years after almost 39,000 tickets were handed out across the region.
Shropshire Council uses the income to fund the cost of the civil enforcement officers and the processing of the penalty charges.
Any surplus is invested to improve road safety, investing in public transport, encouraging safe and sensible parking and promoting walking and cycling.
