Telford traffic wardens move gets parked again

Members of Telford & Wrekin Council's finance and enterprise scrutiny committee said the powers are "much needed" but said they need more information about funding to cover the set-up costs.

Conservative councillors who proposed the scheme said they want to see the plans move more quickly and were hoping the council would be applying for the powers at the next opportunity in March.

If Telford & Wrekin does not go ahead with the idea, it will be the only unitary authority in the country not to do so.

At the moment it is one of only 21 councils in the country that does not yet have the powers, and is the only council in the West Midlands not to hold them.

The job of issuing tickets to motorists in Telford is currently in the hands of police or community officers.

But the council could apply for a civil parking enforcement order, which would enable it to target problem areas, potentially increasing the number of tickets issued to motorists each year – and allowing the council to keep any fines that are issued.

The proposals last came before the Finance and Enterprise Scrutiny Committee in November, when councillors said they needed more information before the council could take on the powers.

They were given a presentation based on a model of four or five parking wardens working in the borough, which would cost the council £164,000 in the first year, £131,000 in the second year and £134,000 in the third year, but that does not take into account the cost of any appeals made by members of the public against tickets.

But members said the plans needed a lot more work before it could go ahead.

And they said the same at Thursday's meetings at Addenbrooke House. Following a presentation by Angie Astley, assistant director of of customer and neighbourhood services, members said that town and parish councils need to be pressed more about whether they would be willing to contribute to the scheme and also wanted to invite Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion to attend a meeting to discuss whether he would be willing to provide "transitional" funding as the council would be taking the responsibility away from the police.

Officers had gathered more information from councils who currently have CPE but it still showed that it would run at a loss for the council, costing £210,574.54 in the first year and only generating income £102,666.59, a deficit of £107,907.95.

Councillor Stephen Bentley said that despite the cost it is something council needs to look "very seriously" at implementing.

Speaking after the meeting Councillors Eric Carter and Nicola Lowery, who initially proposed the scheme 12 months ago said they were keen to see faster movement on the issue.

Councillor Carter said: "This information should have been available at this meeting, why hasn't the PCC been approached sooner?

"What we wanted from this meeting is for them to say, 'Yes, we will be applying for the powers at the next available opportunity in March."