Feasibility study into district council taking responsibility for illegal parking

SOUTH Oxfordshire District Council decided last year to work with Oxfordshire County Council and other districts to look into transferring the responsibility of illegal on-street parking enforecement from the police to the district councils.

This example of illegal on-street parking in Thame was captured by Frank Millar

Now, Oxfordshire County Council is leading on a feasibility study for the whole county to determine how it should be done.

Police cannot prioritise illegal parking

Currently, the management of illegal parking on yellow lines on or near junctions etc, is the responsibility of the police. However, they have to direct their resources based on risks which means that people often find that they don’t respond to complaints about parking as they would wish.

SODC Officers are due to bring a report to Cabinet in December with the results of a parking feasibility study, and for a decision on whether the council wishes to progress with enforcing illegal parking on-street. The feasibility study is focusing on potential operational costs to see if there is a workable business case including joint working with the Vale and Oxfordshire county council.

Civil Parking Enforecement

Councillors will attend a briefing session on Monday, November 11, which will explain what the enforcement parking legislation is about, known as CPE – civil parking enforcement. SODC cannot embark on this project unless all three councils agree, South, Vale and Cherwell because the DfT have made it clear that they will not accept a single submission.

If the project goes ahead, in addition the briefing on November 11, SODC has said that it will ‘engage with stakeholders as the project progresses’.

SOURCE: SODC Council meeting minutes – October 10, 2019