Newsroom Archive

West Mercia Police transferred the powers to the local authority on 31 January 2020. The first four years of enforcement is being part-funded by a contribution of up to £200,000 from the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner. Five in-house Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers were initially employed. That recently increased to eight at the beginning of 2021.

The year of Civil Parking Enforcement began with a grace period of education and the issuing of warning notices. Penalty Charge Notices (fines) later followed. Civil Parking Enforcement was also temporarily suspended during the first COVID-19 lockdown last Spring, in line with Government guidance.

In the first year of Civil Parking Enforcement there were:

• More than 500 informal warnings issued before the CPE start date
• More than 200 formal warnings issues from 3 February for two weeks
• 9,816 visits recorded by the Neighbourhood Enforcement Team
• 16,237 direct observations on vehicles
• 2,565 penalty charge notices issued.

The successes of the past year will be noted in a report brought to a meeting of Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet on 18 February.

Councillor Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said: “Our Neighbourhood Enforcement Officers are employed in-house and are not given ticketing targets. Their job involves tackling inconsiderate and illegal parking. They have been doing this through a mixture of education first and enforcement later. 

“As well as patrolling the streets, working in partnership with town and parish councils, they were able to visit areas where there are parking issues and discuss them with drivers, including parents outside schools. 

“Despite the challenges of 2020, the implementation of Civil Parking Enforcement across the borough has been successful and continues to grow with the support of partnering Town and Parish Councils.”