Vale’s 2018 parking fine hot spots revealed
THE streets where people are most likely to get a parking fine in the Vale of Glamorgan have been revealed.
Windsor Road in Penarth has seen the most penalty charge notices so far this year with 359 from the start of April to October 25.
Holton Road in Barry had a total of 261 fines in that time, while Glebe Street in Penarth had 180.
During the whole of 2017/18, Windsor Road had 771 fines, Holton Road had 540 and Glebe Street had 289.
The number of parking tickets in Holton Road in 2017/18 had fallen dramatically from the 1,308 issued there a year earlier.
Plaid Cymru councillor Ian Johnson said: “Is this because there are fewer drivers ignoring the rules when parking, or have the officers made fewer visits to Barry town centre than in previous years, and so are booking fewer people?
“We need to see the number of visits that the enforcement officers are making, so that we can judge whether fewer people are breaking the rules, or just that officers just aren’t there to book them.
“If there are genuinely fewer traffic problems on Holton Road, then that calls into question the need for car parking charges in the centre of Barry.”
Since April 2013, the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Bridgend County Borough Council have enforced on and off-street parking regulations under a shared service.
In the Vale there are currently five civil enforcement officers, who are based at the Alps Depot in Wenvoe.
“No targets” are set for the number of parking charge notices civil enforcement officers must give out, and they may only issue fines “if they
believe a contravention occurred,” a council report says.
The Civil Parking Enforcement Service is supposed to be “self-financing,” but in 2017/18 it had a deficit of £19,500 – after three consecutive years of marking a surplus.
The council says the deficit is “mainly due to additional civil parking
enforcement officer resources employed over the summer months,” while income remained at a similar level to 2016/17.
A Vale of Glamorgan Council spokesman said: “The role of Civil Enforcement Officers is to identify illegal and irresponsible parking in an effort to keep roads clear and safe.
“Maintaining traffic flow is particularly important in town centres where poor parking can cause obstruction and congestion.
“In most instances, before issuing a ticket, officers will attempt to explain why an individual should not be parked illegally.” has