Parking fines chaos
Scarborough today
SCARBOROUGH'S on-street parking scheme was plunged into fresh controversy today after the Government refused to grant the borough council power to issue tickets for all parking offences.
Scarborough Council had hoped it would be granted decriminalised parking powers from today which would allow it to take over from police the issuing of fines to people who park illegally on yellow lines.
But concerns have been raised that the lines and signs which make up the on-street scheme do not follow the law and cannot be enforced – despite the council spending around £50,000 on a consultant to help prepare for decriminalisation.
The Department for Transport has refused to grant decriminalised parking powers until the issues are resolved.
The council already enforces all Scarborough on-street parking bays and was initially hoping to take over the police responsibilities last summer, but has been forced to alter a number of its lines and signs which has seen the switchover pushed back a number of times.
The latest concerns have been raised with the Department for Transport by Keith Hughes, who was Scarborough's top traffic policeman for five years and made a successful complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman about the scheme in 2004 after his daughter was given a fine. The ombudsman found the council guilty of maladministration.
He said: "The council has messed this up big time and they are now trying to make excuses that it is not their fault.
"They put the scheme in place while I was still working for the police and we knew immediately that the lines and signs were wrong, but they would not listen to us when we tried to tell them that.
Since my last complaint they have spent several months and thousands of pounds trying to put it right – and it's still wrong, which means there are lots of places round the town where people can park improperly and no-one can touch them for it.
"The police have also been getting rid of their traffic wardens in preparation for the council taking over, so now we are in a situation where no-one really is going round issuing tickets and the motorists who park on yellow lines will only get a ticket if it is issued by a police officer."
Scarborough Council said the delay was also down to an administrative hold-up at the Department for Transport and hoped the powers would be granted in the summer.
Mr Hughes believes it will take until summer next year to put the problems right.
John Riby, Scarborough Council's head of engineering and procurement, said the council does not believe it has been proven in law that there are any major problems with the lines and signs.
He said: "The concerns that have been raised with the DfT have only latterly been referred to us.
"We have asked the consultant to come back and look at the areas where Mr Hughes has raised concerns. It is only right that, having had a consultant in, we have to give that consultant the right to respond."
SCARBOROUGH'S on-street parking scheme was plunged into fresh controversy today after the Government refused to grant the borough council power to issue tickets for all parking offences.
Scarborough Council had hoped it would be granted decriminalised parking powers from today which would allow it to take over from police the issuing of fines to people who park illegally on yellow lines.
But concerns have been raised that the lines and signs which make up the on-street scheme do not follow the law and cannot be enforced – despite the council spending around £50,000 on a consultant to help prepare for decriminalisation.
The Department for Transport has refused to grant decriminalised parking powers until the issues are resolved.
The council already enforces all Scarborough on-street parking bays and was initially hoping to take over the police responsibilities last summer, but has been forced to alter a number of its lines and signs which has seen the switchover pushed back a number of times.
The latest concerns have been raised with the Department for Transport by Keith Hughes, who was Scarborough's top traffic policeman for five years and made a successful complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman about the scheme in 2004 after his daughter was given a fine. The ombudsman found the council guilty of maladministration.
He said: "The council has messed this up big time and they are now trying to make excuses that it is not their fault.
"They put the scheme in place while I was still working for the police and we knew immediately that the lines and signs were wrong, but they would not listen to us when we tried to tell them that.
Since my last complaint they have spent several months and thousands of pounds trying to put it right – and it's still wrong, which means there are lots of places round the town where people can park improperly and no-one can touch them for it.
"The police have also been getting rid of their traffic wardens in preparation for the council taking over, so now we are in a situation where no-one really is going round issuing tickets and the motorists who park on yellow lines will only get a ticket if it is issued by a police officer."
Scarborough Council said the delay was also down to an administrative hold-up at the Department for Transport and hoped the powers would be granted in the summer.
Mr Hughes believes it will take until summer next year to put the problems right.
John Riby, Scarborough Council's head of engineering and procurement, said the council does not believe it has been proven in law that there are any major problems with the lines and signs.
He said: "The concerns that have been raised with the DfT have only latterly been referred to us.
"We have asked the consultant to come back and look at the areas where Mr Hughes has raised concerns. It is only right that, having had a consultant in, we have to give that consultant the right to respond."
posted by Neil Herron at 1:20 PM
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