All Councillor Briefing – Civil Parking Enforcement for South, Vale of White Horse and Cherwell Districts
20 October 2020
Should the
proposal to implement CPE across South Oxfordshire, Vale of White
Horse and Cherwell Districts be approved initially by Oxfordshire
County Cabinet on 13th October (Vale and South cabinets
are planned in December), the purpose of this paper is to update
and advise Councillors on
a. Progress made in investigating the feasibility of CPE for
Oxfordshire and associated recommendations.
b. An indicative timeline for delivery
c. Frequently asked questions which may be posed by the public
regarding CPE
MILESTONE |
DATE |
CPE approval paper to OCC Cabinet |
Oct 20 |
CPE approval paper to CDC Cabinet |
Nov 20 |
CPE approval paper to SODC Cabinet |
Dec 20 |
CPE approval paper to VWH Cabinet |
Dec 20 |
Draft application developed for the introduction of a SEA in districts. |
Oct 20-Dec 21 |
Commencement of review of existing signs, lines and TROs |
Jan 21-Aug 21 |
Commencement of the Statutory Consultation process |
Feb 21-April 21 |
Application submitted to the DfT |
April 21 |
DfT review & parliamentary process |
April 21-Nov 21 |
Establishment of formal ‘back office’ |
July 21-Nov 21 |
Designation Order created and CPE brought into effect |
Nov 21 |
What is CPE? |
Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) is when a local authority takes on responsibility from the police to enforce against illegal parking. This process means parking violations becoming civil offences. In Oxfordshire CPE will apply for on-street parking (roads and highways). |
Why do we need CPE? |
The effective
management of waiting and loading restrictions will allow us to
match enforcement to our wider transport strategies.
|
What is changing? |
Under the introduction of CPE parking enforcement across South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and Cherwell Districts will be taken over from the Police by Oxfordshire County Council. This will result in increased, more consistent enforcement of waiting and loading restrictions, double parking offences and dropped kerb obstructions. CPE is already in effect in Oxford City and West Oxfordshire. |
What are the current time scales for the implementation of CPE? |
Assuming Cabinet support the Council will look to implement CPE in November 2021. |
Which areas will be patrolled and how often? |
All areas where there are traffic regulation orders in place will be patrolled, this includes all towns and most villages. An intelligence led approach will be taken to enforcement meaning teams will be focused on areas where illegal parking is having the most impact on road safety and congestion. |
Parking restrictions in my area are outdated. How do I get them reviewed? |
If CPE is implemented parking restrictions will be reviewed on a regular basis. If you feel there is an area where restrictions should be reviewed please contact the parking team via Parking@oxfordshire.gov.uk |
How is CPE funded? |
The aim of CPE is to achieve 100% compliance of parking regulations. If that was to occur there would be no income from penalty charges. However, if drivers choose to park illegally, they should expect to receive a Penalty Charge Notice. Assumptions based on national compliance levels have been assumed.
Fines associated with parking will be retained in Oxfordshire to support the cost of enforcement. Any surplus will be spent on local transport and environmental improvements in Oxfordshire.
|
Why are the County Council proposing to introduce Pay and Display Parking as part of the rollout of CPE?
|
For CPE to be a success, it is important that the service is self-funding and to do this the introduction of some on-street paid parking is required to pay for enforcement etc. It should be remembered that the overall aim of civil enforcement is to achieve compliance with the restrictions in place. For this reason, revenue from PCN’s shouldn’t be relied upon and charging makes the service more robust and financially viable. Any surplus from the parking service is used to fund wider highway improvements and paid parking will bring wider benefits to the local economy by encouraging the turnover of parking spaces whilst encouraging users to think about their travel choices, especially for short journeys.
|
What will the penalty be for drivers found to be parking illegally? |
There are two
levels of Penalty Charge: - £70 for
the more serious offences, e.g. parking on yellow lines - £50 for
less serious offences, e.g. overstaying in a limited waiting
bay. Both charges are reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days.
|
If CPE was introduced how would Councillors, Town Councils and members of the public report concern about parking enforcement? |
Members of the public, Town Councils and Councillors would be able to report areas and incidents of illegal parking via a dedicated email address and telephone line. Officers would investigate and will take enforcement action as required. |
What enforcement is currently taking place? |
Parking offences in areas that are not currently covered by CPE are a criminal offence (fixed penalty notice) and enforced by Thames Valley Police. |
Will the introduction of new residents parking schemes be considered once CPE is introduced? |
Permit parking schemes can benefit residents and their visitors in areas where extraneous parking causes a problem. A key factor in their success is enforcement, and the introduction of CPE will open up opportunities for new schemes to be considered. Any scheme of this nature is subject evidenced local support and funding |