Newport town councillors seek ‘break clause’ as parking enforcement contract hits snag

Newport Town Council has formed a working group to try to come to an agreement with Telford & Wrekin Council over getting a ‘break clause’ in a Service Level Agreement which would commit it to paying £28,500 a year over the next four years.

While discussions are under way the town councillors at a meeting last week approved the idea of spending £114,000. It includes £28,500, which would be match funded pound-for-pound by the borough.

The ‘enhanced service’ will see enforcement officers from Telford & Wrekin Council spend “at least five days a week” in the town, mainly dealing with parking problems.

Borough councillor Peter Scott (Independent, Newport West) attended last Tuesday’s full town council meeting to urge town councillors to put “anti-Telford & Wrekin” feelings aside and vote for the enhanced service level agreement.

Councillor Scott said: “People want it and they want it now. Please support it as much as you can.”

Under the arrangement both the town and borough council will chip in £28,520 per year for four years to pay for the £57,540 ‘enhancement’.

An agreement that ended in 2024 had seen the town council spending about £17,000 but councillors want to see the return of greater coverage.

Councillor Thomas Janke (Lib Dem), the town’s deputy mayor and borough councillor for Newport South said: “In principle we are all in favour of contributing despite this being a Telford & Wrekin statutory service that we are already paying council tax for.”

He added: “The agreement states that it cannot be terminated early under any circumstances, that’s what we are signing up for.”

He and others want a termination clause added.

But he added: “I’m not saying I am against.”

Town Mayor Ian Perry (North ward) said: “If we sign this they can do what they want and we can’t get out of it.”

And Councillor Bill Harper (West Ward) added: “Contracts are for divorces, not marriages – and I have personal experience of this.”

Councillor Tim Nelson (North Ward), who is also the Conservative leader at Telford & Wrekin Council, said he thought that the borough had set up the “wrong agreement” and it seemed to be a “cut and paste".

He added that he was “quite happy to pay £28,000 but the agreement is not fit for purpose".

Councillors overwhelmingly voted to reject the draft service level agreement but agreed with councillor Nelson when he proposed putting the money on the table.

After the meeting, Telford & Wrekin Council's deputy leader and cabinet member for highways, housing and enforcement Councillor Richard Overton welcomed the town council “decision to extend our existing partnership working for increased enforcement".

But he added that the borough would work with the town to “complete the necessary paperwork".

He said: “Telford & Wrekin Council has been working in partnership with town and parish councils across the borough including Newport Town Council, delivering the Community Action Team arrangements for both enforcement and public realm services since 2021.

“The council welcomes Newport Town Council’s decision to extend our existing partnership working for increased enforcement and will work with them to complete the necessary paperwork in line with that which the town council has already agreed under the current partnership agreement.”

After the meeting Councillor Scott said he hoped the town council had not kicked it “into the long grass".

“We need full enforcement now. The double taxation argument won’t wash.

“They ignore the residents at their peril.”