Fines for illegal parking in Fenland could be issued by council officers

Funding of £400,000 has been approved to progress Civic Parking Enforcement which is being explored as an option to tackle “poor parking across the district,” the council said.

The money has been granted by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority as part of its Market Towns Programme, with the mayoral body saying the scheme would “ensure towns remain vibrant and viable as shopping centres”.

Currently, parking enforcement is carried out in Fenland by police, but the district council said the new powers - if eventually granted by the Government - would prevent it from needing to introduce compulsory parking charges.

In Peterborough, officers contracted by the council are able to hand out fines for illegal parking.

A Fenland District Council spokesman said: “Residents of Fenland have often expressed the need for more parking enforcement in our district.

“Parking enforcement in Fenland is currently carried out by the police and, while it is possible for the local council to take on the responsibility, this is usually funded by compulsory paid parking (car parking charges) – a policy which Fenland District Council is firmly opposed to.

“Fenland District Council members and officers began exploring powers in relation to introducing Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) 18 months ago to help tackle poor parking across the district, looking into ways to implement a scheme that would both satisfy the concerns of local people and also avoid the introduction of compulsory paid parking that other areas have seen.

“Introducing CPE would enable Fenland District Council or the county’s highways authority, Cambridgeshire County Council, to assume responsibility for enforcement and issue Penalty Charge Notices for parking violations on both on and off street parking areas.

“In October last year, the council’s Cabinet agreed to commission a feasibility study to review the current situation and the many implications of implementing Civil Parking Enforcement.

“They also agreed for a joint capital funding request to be put forward to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to fund the scheme, as part of the wider ‘Growing Fenland’ Masterplan project which was agreed by the CPCA Board on Wednesday, January 27.

“The feasibility study has now been completed and a report seeking approval on whether to progress the project will be presented to Cabinet in March 2021.

“If approved, there will be a full review of all existing Traffic Regulation and Parking Places Orders across the district and a formal consultation undertaken with key stakeholders. Finally, the highways authority would need to submit a CPE application to the Department for Transport for approval before CPE could be implemented.

“Although these changes seem bureaucratic, they are necessary steps which hopefully lead to a policy that will help solve a long-standing problem in the district and do so without any need to start compulsory charging for parking in our car parks.”