East Riding Council looks set to take on Parking Enforcement role

PARKING THROUGHOUT THE AREA could become the responsibility of East Riding of Yorkshire Council from October if councillors vote in favour of proposals next week. 

On Tuesday, 18 January, the cabinet of East Riding of Yorkshire Council will consider whether the authority will apply for Civil Parking Enforcement powers from the Department for Transport. Currently Humberside Police is responsible for ensuring that drivers in the East Riding park safely and legally.

Councillor Stephen Parnaby, OBE, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “I am pleased that this council looks set to take on responsibility for parking enforcement. As well as having an impact on the flow of traffic in general, illegally parked cars can hinder public transport, refuse collections and even the emergency services. The priority for our officers will be making sure on-street parking is well managed and the roads are usable for everyone. They will not be heavy-handed or make issuing tickets, or raising income for the council, their primary concern.” 

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is proposing to use its own parking attendants rather than employing a third party to carry out the work. Attendants will wear a recognisable uniform and be highly trained. The move also means that parking offences will move from being a criminal matter to a civil matter, helping to keep the issue away from the courts. 

The council’s parking wardens will be on hand to give help, advice and directions to members of the public and to watch for problems throughout the East Riding including potholes, faulty lights and any issues with pavements or roads. 

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New Year's Day parking fines reprieve

IN A PRESS STATEMENT released yesterday, the East Riding Council has announced that it is letting motorists caught illegally parking on New Year’s Day off the hook:

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is offering a New Year gesture of goodwill to the motorists fined for parking.

The council today said that it would reimburse the motorists who were caught parking, against restrictions, on New Year’s Day.

The leader of the council, Councillor Stephen Parnaby, OBE, said:

“It is not the way that any motorist wants to start off a new year and it was not our intention. We recognise that there has been an element of confusion with regards to the way the New Year bank holiday fell. We will reimburse those who have already paid and cancel the tickets of the others.”

The council provided free parking in its car parks on all Saturdays and Sundays in December, including Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Rumour has it that the Council got visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve...?  

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Extend Free Car Parking call

FOLLOWING NEWS that the East Riding Council is to suspend council car parking charges during the three weekends leading up to Christmas, then there has been a call to extend free parking all year round.

The move to suspend charges at council car parks, for the third year running, is set to be approved by the Council's ruling Cabinet meeting on 2nd November, but has been advertised early so that Christmas shoppers in the region are aware of the suspension and can choose to shop in the East Riding and boost the local retail economy. Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the council, said recently: “For the past two years this initiative has helped to bring shoppers to the East Riding in the run up to Christmas."

However, Andrew Allison, the coordinator of the local Tax Payers Alliance organisation has now urged the council to make the suspension of charges permanent in some car parks: 

"I hope the cabinet will approve the free Christmas parking scheme for the third year in a row. It is essential to bring in as much trade as possible, and this is one of the ways of doing it. I would also urge councillors to look at extending free parking all year round in some of its car parks. For those people who only want to pop into a couple of shops, 15-30 minutes free parking would also help boost trade."

The debate will be followed with interest locally. The Council had indicated that following a review of car parking charges published earlier in the year, that implementation of any new charges in three of Hedon's car parks would be deferred until a decision on building a new 'Park & Ride' facility near the town had been made.

The 'Park and Ride' project did not go ahead, and so new charges might now be expected to be implemented locally in 2012.

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Free Christmas Car Parking Scheme

A FREE CAR PARKING scheme which gives shoppers free parking in the run up to Christmas is set to run again this year. 

For the past two years, those preparing for Christmas by shopping in the East Riding have benefited as the Council suspended parking charges at its car parks during the three weekends leading up to Christmas. At its meeting on Tuesday, 2 November, the council's cabinet is being recommended to approve the scheme to run for the third year in a row. 

Once again this year pay and display machines in the council’s car-parks and on-street parking locations would be clearly marked to let shoppers know there is no charge for these weekends leading up to Christmas. 

Councillor Stephen Parnaby OBE, leader of the council, said: “For the past two years this initiative has helped to bring shoppers to the East Riding in the run up to Christmas. The council is happy to promote schemes like this which have a real and tangible benefit to local businesses.” 

The free parking would apply during every weekend from and including December 4 until December 26. All council car parks would be free from 8am on Saturday until 8am on Monday.

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