Councillor says parking excuse is a red herring

01 July 2009

NORTH Somerset's deputy council leader blames Weston's parking chaos on 'lax police and law flouting traders'.

Councillor Elfan Ap Rees said the excuses given last week for the parking free-for-all were more of a 'red herring'.

At Tuesday night's full council meeting he was questioned about Weston's parking nightmare as reported in last weeks Mercury.

Cllr Ap Rees, who is responsible for highways, said: "Like most residents in Weston I am at a complete loss to understand the police argument that they can't enforce parking regulations and issue penalty notices for obstructive parking in the town centre.

"The excuse that the traffic regulation orders are invalid is a red herring and that only applies to a small number of roads where the yellow lines or signs need renewing.

"Then there are the local traders who blatantly flout the restrictions in Regent Street to the extent that I've even seen vehicles parked facing the wrong way.

"This is only possible if you drive illegally through the High Street gate."

Cllr Ap Rees said the council could not take over the monitoring of the parking situation as they would not have the same powers as the police.

He said that any council officers employed to deal with the situation would have to call the police each time a vehicle is causing an obstruction.

He added: "Worse, under the decriminalisation authority we would not be able to just restrict our activity to the town centres, but would have to employ sufficient people to police every village and town in the district, buy vehicles, provide offices and rest room facilities-all adding even more to the taxpayers bill.

"In my view that is a no brainer when we have police officers on duty in the town centres anyway."

He also urged residents and councillors to report to the police whenever they spot vehicles illegally parked and if necessary take them to the spot and show them.

He added: "If two policemen are together, especially in the day time, you might also ask them why and send a note with their numbers to the chief superintendent for appropriate action."

Chief inspector Geoff Foreman said that after regularly consulting with the public across the area to establish what their priorities are, parking enforcement had not been highlighted as an issue of concern.

He said: "The enforcement of parking legislation currently remains within the remit of the police within North Somerset.

"We have to prioritise calls with threats to life and property taking precedence, as the public would expect.