Frustration over delay in parking crackdown

An overhaul of car parking enforcement across North Yorkshire was expected to be introduced in October.

But new Government timelines have forced the county council to push back the scheme until late spring next year.

The county council’s executive member for highways, Coun Gareth Dadd, said: “It’s very disappointing that we are going to have what could amount to a six-month delay to tackle the issues we are trying to deal with. It’s very frustrating as it’s the result of a decision not taken by us.”

However, Coun Dadd said the delay meant the authority would now have more time to put a “robust and sustainable” system in place.

“It will give us a bit more breathing space to iron out any difficulties. I’m hoping we can get the partnership arrangements with the district councils in place now to ensure the public have one focus in terms of enforcement rather than being confused as to who has responsibility for it,” he said.

Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) - where parking offences on public roads are regulated by local highway authorities rather than the police - is already the responsibility of the county council in both the Scarborough and Harrogate districts. But the parking enforcement is now set to be extended to the remaining districts of Craven, Hambleton, Richmondshire, Ryedale and Selby.

Funded by the Integrated Transport Capital Programme, the project is set to cost £673,000 and is expected to be introduced in summer 2013. The scheme is currently being considered by the county’s area committees before final plans are drawn up. CPE already operates in many parts of the UK. Legislation was brought in to allow local authorities to apply for the powers under the Road Traffic Act of 1991 as the country’s police resources were becoming increasingly stretched.