At the time these changes were proposed, we were
promised that there would be full consultation and many councillors (including
us) are furious that proper consultation has not occurred. In fact, we had
thought the ideas had been dropped as nothing happened for 6 months but the
notices appeared suddenly without our knowledge. At the time Tthe EMS
was going to press, we were arguing for these proposals to be
dropped as no study into the potential impact had been undertaken. We share the
concerns that many people have expressed over the proposals. We will keep you
informed on this issue.
From 1 April 1st next year, Havant Borough
Council will take on the role of issuing Penalty Notice Charges (PNCs) for
illegal parking on the highway.
Having Police Oofficers writing parking tickets and ensuring
free-flow of traffic is not a good use of their precious resources. Under
pressure from the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers), the Government has decided that local authorities should take over this responsibility under a process
called Decriminalised
Parking Enforcement (DPE). Within the next two years, it is most
probable that the government will force HBC to take on this task. We have taken the decision to acceptadopt the responsibility before it is forced upon us.
The term decriminalisation
is used because parking illegally on or obstructing the highway is currently a
criminal offence. It will shortly be downgraded to a civil offence, which is
the mechanism by which the Police can transfer responsibility to local
authorities.
The main changes
are as follows:
·
There
are currently 3 Traffic Wardens responsible for the entire Borough, which in
terms of enforcing parking restrictions is frankly a joke. Habitual illegal
parkers normally know when the Wardens will be 'out of town', so they park with
impunity.
Under
the new set-up HBC will employ approximately 12 Wardens, this
does not mean all twelve will be out at the same time, we have to give an
undertaking to provide cover between certain hours 7 days a week, and we must also take
into account sickness and holidays.
·
For some time now
ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) has been lobbying the Gov't over
shedding responsibility for Parking Enforcement. Having Police officers writing
parking tickets and ensuring free-flow of traffic is not good use of their
precious resources. The answer is for local authorities to take over the
responsibility. Within the next two years it is most probable that the gov't
will force HBC to take on the responsibility for DPE, the decision we have
taken is to adopt the responsibility before it is forced upon us. This gives us
the time to introduce it thoughtfully and without the arm twist that will
surely follow if we don't.
From April 1st
next year Havant Borough Council will take on the role of issuing Penalty
Notice Charges (PNCs) for illegal parking on the highway. There are currently 3
Traffic Wardens responsible for the entire Borough which in terms of enforcing
parking restrictions is frankly a joke. Habitual illegal parkers normally know
when the Wardens will be 'out of town' so they park with impunity.
Under the new set
up HBC will employ approximately 12 Wardens, this does not mean all twelve out
at the same time, we have to give an undertaking to provide cover between
certain hours and 7 days a week, we must also take into account sickness and
holidays.
Having introduced
this subject it would be easier if I gave answers to the most common questions,
it also makes it less boring to read…….
Will
the Wardens be given daily quotas or targets to issue so many tickets?
·
NO. The cost analysis has been
calculated on Wardens achieving the bare minimum and they the wardens will
not be set
any daily
quotas or targets to issue so many tickets.targets.
Q. Does this mean that from April 1st there
will be on-street parking charges such as meters or vouchers introduced in town
centres such as Havant, Emsworth, Mengham or Waterlooville?
·
A. NO.We have decided to introduce
DPE without making any changes to the existing parking regime. We will monitor
its progress carefully over the first 18 months or so to assess the impact of
the additional Wardens and undertake a financial analysis to ensure the whole
thing is at least self-financing.
·
·
Q. Press
reports earlier indicated that on street meters would be installed in town
centres - was this inaccurate?
·
A. The press articles
were based on a consultant's report and a committee
report that followed a Member's visit to Rushmoor to explore how they had
introduced DPE. Rushmoor had introduced parking meters and it
was suggested to HBC Members that we introduced them in
the Borough but we
have rejected the proposal for now.
·
Q. Does that
answer leave the door open for possible introduction at some stage in the
future?
·
A. Currently
we have no intention ofto
introducinge
on street charging, if, in 18 months’ time the programme is running at a loss,
we will undertake full public consultation to explore a way forward and some
form of on-street charging will probably be debated at that time, if necessary.
·
·
Q. Once
HBC take on the
responsibility from the Police, can the
decision cannot
be reversed.?
A. No. Once we take it on there is no going
back.
Q. What about the
introduction of Residents Parking Schemes?
A. There are many areas in the
Borough where residents have asked for the introduction of Residents Parking Schemes such
schemes and Iit is
our intention to make these available, however, the keys to success are
affordability and successful monitoring. There will obviously have to be a
charge and it will need to reflect the cost of administering the scheme. We
intend to explore this issue actively once the DPE team is fully set up and
operational.
See From the ChairmanAll
the above is quite straight forward, however, quite separate from DPE and just
to add confusion has been a recent
announcement by HBC that there are proposed changes at several car parks in the
Borough which will affect South Street and Bridge Road. At the time these
changes were proposed we were promised that there would be full consultation
and many councillors (including us) are furious that proper consultation has
not occurred. In fact, we had thought the ideas had been dropped as nothing
happened for 6 months but the notices appeared suddenly without our knowledge.
At the time the EMS was going to press we were arguing for these proposals to
be dropped as no study into the potential impact had been undertaken. We share
the concerns that many people have expressed over the proposals. We will keep
you informed on this issue.