Clear streets will combat thoughtless parking without draining Police resources

Commons report backs battle with parking pests

Staffordshire safe parking campaigners have welcomed a call from the Parliamentary Transport Committee for more coherent guidance and support for parking regulation across the UK.

The Transport Committee's report on Parking Policy and Enforcement has recommended that carefully co-ordinated council controlled parking enforcement should be rolled out across the country.

The report has given more authority to the drive by the County Council and district council partners in the drive to take on the challenge of creating clearer, safer streets.

Councils have been given the powers by Government to take on the management of on-street parking controls, and Staffordshire County and the first four local councils are already working together to form a partnership to get the scheme off the ground.

At the moment the police deal with parking issues. The council teams taking overcwill mean Police officers can dedicate their valuable time into tackling serious crime.

The report underlines the Staffordshire approach to clear streets - ensuring "dozy parkers" and "parking pests" do not park on pavements, at junctions, creating a nuisance and a danger for local communities, children and disabled people.

It also highlights how illegally parked cars cost the economy dear, causing disruption, congestion, blocking public transport and generally holding up the smooth running of the economy. Bad parking is bad for business. 

Chair of the Committee Gwyneth Dunwoody said well administered parking regulations were vital to good traffic management. She said: "They will also create a more pleasant street environment for all. This has most chance of success through the decriminalised parking enforcement regime."

Staffordshire County Council Development Chief, Councillor John Wakefield said: "In Staffordshire the operation will focus firmly on liberating communities from the plague of illegal and careless parking pests. The local parking team will be highly trained and sympathetic to local needs and personal circumstances. It is all about public service.

"The operation will aim to be entirely self-financing and if payments from parking enforcements exceed operating costs, any excess will be poured into improving transport and road safety locally. Poor parkers will pay for improvements where they have caused inconvenience - a sort of compensation to the people they have inconvenienced.

"The Transport Committee report has highlighted where those council's who have already gone down the deregulation route have gone wrong. We can learn from their mistakes and make sure the Staffordshire experience can deliver clear streets underpinned by the concept of fairness for all."

Page Last Modified: 30/01/2007 16:03:39

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