New parking powers for Telford & Wrekin Council to be discussed

The proposals for the council to take on civil parking enforcement powers will be discussed again at a meeting later this week.

Conservative councillors on the council have called for it to assume the powers from West Mercia Police.

At the moment it is one of only 21 councils in the country that does not yet have the powers, and is the only council in the West Midlands not to hold them.

The job of issuing tickets to motorists in Telford is currently in the hands of police or community officers.

But the council could apply for a civil parking enforcement order, which would enable it to target problem areas, potentially increasing the number of tickets issued to motorists each year – and allowing the council to keep any fines that are issued.

The proposals last came before the Finance and Enterprise Scrutiny Committee in November, when councillors said they needed more information before the council could take on the powers.

They were given a presentation based on a model of four or five parking wardens working in the borough, which would cost the council £164,000 in the first year, £131,000 in the second year and £134,000 in the third year, but that does not take into account the cost of any appeals made by members of the public against tickets.

But members said the plans needed a lot more work before they could go ahead.

At the next meeting on Thursday, members will receive a presentation from the assistant director for customer and neighbourhood services to provide further information.

From there the committee will have to agree a recommendation or to scope further work.

The committee have been tasked with making a recommendation to the cabinet as to whether or not to commit resources to developing a business case with a view to making an application for a civil parking enforcement order.

Councillor Eric Carter, ward member for Newport South and East, who first proposed the plans said he hoped the meeting would see plans for the adoption of the powers move forward.

He said: "I will be going along to the meeting, not as a member but as the proposer of the plans.

"I'm hopeful that the meeting will see the council look to take on the powers. We are the only council in the West Midlands not to have CPE in place and one of only about 20 in the country.

"I am hopeful that, because of the pressure we have put on them and the figures given that the outcome will be that they look to apply for the powers.

"It is important because there are things that we can't do without CPE in place, of course it won't happen immediately, it will probably take about two years for them to be brought in."

Councillor Carter said that Newport in particular suffers with problems of "illegal" and "dangerous" parking.

He said: "If these powers are taken forward, town councils like Newport Town Council, of which I am also a member, can work with the borough council."