Parking problem 'leads to chaos'

Streets in Ellesmere are being blocked by illegally parked cars, while residents are being unfairly penalised by traffic wardens for parking outside their homes, it has been claimed.

Councillors are to arrange a meeting with bosses from ParkRight, who provide parking enforcement in the town, after the concerns were raised.

Members at last night's full town council meeting claimed cars parked in loading bays outside the Spar shop in Scotland Street, were not being dealt with, yet vehicles which were not obstructing traffic elsewhere were being issued with parking tickets.

Councillor Lynne Davies told the meeting she had been issued with a fixed penalty notice while her car was parked outside her home, and had been advised by ParkRight staff not to have a car.

"When I got a ticket one of them said to me 'You should do what I do love, I live in Shrewsbury and there's no parking so I don't have a car,'"she said.

Councillor Ian Ward claimed parking wardens were heavy-handed in their approach to parking enforcement in the town.

He said: "All they do is walk round looking for people to issue with a ticket, but to make a car move for one bit is environmentally wrong because it creates a traffic movement you don't need to have."

Councillor Jack Frost said he had seen parking wardens ignore cars parked illegally to ticket cars which were not causing a problem.

Councillors resolved to ask ParkRight for clarification on where they can and cannot park, and invite a representative to a meeting.

ParkRight was unavailable for comment today.