Councillor: Parking clampdown is ‘damaging’ Ludlow

According to Councillor Andy Boddington, who represents Ludlow North, window cleaners, tradesmen, delivery drivers and visitors have all been targeted by enforcement officers.

“Parking officers are giving no leeway,” he said. “I have never had so many complaints about what people still call traffic wardens as I have had in recent days.”

He added that he is completely against bad parking, including the abuse of disabled parking bays and parking on pavements, but said he believes the council is trying to raise extra revenue.

He added: “Shropshire Council’s civil enforcement officers raised an income of around £440,000 in 2017/18, rather less than the £590,000 cost of running the enforcement service.

"That service has been told to cut its costs, or raise income, by £100,000 in the year from April. The service will face a quarter of a million-pound shortfall from this April.

“In the last few weeks, we have seen a zero tolerance approach to parking infringements in Ludlow. Window cleaners, couriers, deliveries to pubs, local businesses delivering beds, craftsmen working on buildings, business owners popping into their premises for under 30 seconds. All have fallen victim to civil enforcement officers’ yellow tickets in the last few weeks.

“People committing clear offences should be penalised. But what we have seen from Shropshire Council’s parking enforcement officers in recent weeks is the equivalent of fining people for driving 31mph in a 30mph limit. If this zero tolerance parking regime has a future, market towns like ours may have no future.

“Part of the problem we face is the odd way that Shropshire Council is organised. Highways and parking come under the Director of Place. But parking enforcement come under the Director of Public Health. That means the council can’t join up the dots. The Director of Place oversees the economy. But the Director of Public Health is far more concerned with getting smokers to quit and reducing obesity. It is the most bizarre organisational arrangement I have met over my many years with the public service.

“I have complained to directors at the council that this level of enforcement is damaging Ludlow’s economy. In January and February traders need every penny they can get but if shoppers get yellow tickets on their windscreens, they are unlikely to want to come to Ludlow again.”

“Ludlow is a tolerant place. Shropshire is a tolerant county. The growing intolerant attitude of Shropshire Council risks changing the character of Shropshire.”

Shropshire Council was approached for comment.