North Yorkshire Council

Selby and Ainsty Area Committee

25 April 2025

Written update from parking enforcement

1.0       PURPOSE OF REPORT

1.1       To provide the Committee with updates on parking enforcement following requests at and since the 13 December 2024 meeting.

2.0       BACKGROUND

2.1       At and following the 13 December 2024 meeting, Members asked for updates from the parking enforcement team. The relevant Officers have provided written updates below and they have offered to attend a future meeting if Members have any queries.

3.0       Parking Enforcement

            Parking Services delivers Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in all of North Yorkshire and has been doing so for nearly 20 years.  Parking Services has just finished its restructure and is now undertaking a root and branch review of Policies which will lead to local area action plans in due course. There area number of major projects that are currently being considered as follows:

· A Machine replacement programme – If adopted this will replace all of the current council Pay and Display (P&D) machines with new ticketless ones with larger brighter screens for ease of use and they will continue to accept both cash and card.  This is a spend to save project expected to save 600k per Anum.

· To replace the councils notice processing and permit system – The current system is split into 2 with one located in Scarborough and the other in Harrogate.  Equally, the current permit system is paper based and split into two.  We are going to modernise into 1 hosted system and include new modules such as Moving Traffic Enforcement (MTE).  At the same time we aim to procure a new digital permit system that will be largely self-service and will save both time and money plus add to our climate change objectives.

· Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s) are currently paper based and time consuming to create.  The Department for Transport (DfT) has decreed that all new TRO’s will need to be digitised by September 2025 so we are procuring a new digital system and consolidating all of North Yorkshires TRO’s, thereby speeding up the TRO system and enhancing other GIS applications within the council.

· We are asking for 400k to replace any old sodium lighting in car parks and replace ageing and rusty lamp columns thereby enhancing the look and feel plus additional safety at night.  They are all going to be LED lamp heads so more efficient.

· There is also a requirement to replace all of the councils car park signage, so some 347 new signs branded to North Yorkshire Council.

· Last year Parking services carried out around 350k of surfacing, lining and structural work to two major car parking sites in Selby.

            Parking services has some 170 car parks, issues 70,000 PCN’s, 40,000 permits and 100’s of thousands of guest permits and generates in excess of £20m of income each year.  It currently has 54 staff.  Civil Parking Enforcement is best summarised as follows:

Purpose: Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) enables local authorities to manage parking restrictions and enforce compliance to promote road safety, reduce congestion, and ensure fair use of parking spaces.

            Legislative Framework:

· CPE is governed primarily by the Traffic Management Act 2004 (TMA).

· Additional regulations include:

o The Civil Enforcement of Parking Contraventions (England) General Regulations 2007.

o The Civil Enforcement of Road Traffic Contraventions Regulations 2022.

            Key Features:

1. Local Authority Role:

o Responsibility for enforcing parking restrictions is transferred from police to local councils.

o Enforcement officers (formerly known as parking attendants) are tasked with issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs).

2. Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs):

o Issued for contraventions such as parking on double yellow lines, exceeding time limits, or failing to pay for parking.

o Charges vary depending on the severity of the contravention.

3. Uniform Requirements:

o Enforcement officers must wear a uniform that clearly identifies them, as specified in the Civil Enforcement Officers (Wearing of Uniforms) Regulations 2007.

4. Appeals Process:

o Motorists can challenge PCNs through an appeals process.

o If unresolved, cases may be referred to the independent adjudicators, such as the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

            Benefits:

· Promotes compliance with parking rules, leading to safer roads and reduced congestion.

· Generates revenue that local authorities must reinvest in transport-related projects.

            Challenges:

· Balancing enforcement with public perception—ensuring fairness while avoiding accusations of excessive ticketing.

· Managing the financial costs of enforcement operations and appeals.

We are a busy service with lots of moving parts, we are developing in lots of ways for the good and benefit of our residents and businesses.

5.0	RECOMMENDATIONS
	i) To note the updates. ii) To raise any queries and consider whether a response should be provided via email or in person at a future meeting.