BCP Council to tackle "illegal and irresponsible parking" with higher fines
It's been given the green light from the government to trial the idea
BCP Council is hoping to tackle what it describes as "illegal and irresponsible parking" with higher fines.
It's been given the green light from the government to trial the idea - and is now waiting for final details on the work required before it can go ahead.
The authority says it issued more than four thousand penalty charge notices to drivers on the three busiest weekends of the year.
Read more: BCP Council: thousands fined car parking in soaring temperatures
Cllr Millie Earl, Leader of BCP Council, said: “We welcome the fact the Government has recognised the problem we experience in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole with illegal and irresponsible parking.
“The Department for Transport has confirmed they will accept the Council’s proposals for a trial of greater powers.
“We have been asking Governments for more than six years to let us impose higher fines and our parking team now await final details on the work required to implement the trial in time for the August 1 deadline.
“Even at our busiest last weekend, there were enough parking spaces within a short walk of the seafront across our three towns and when visitors make a choice to park illegally, we know that residents, and responsible visitors, want us to take robust enforcement action.
“During our three busiest weekends of the year we have issued more than 4,000 penalty charge notices to drivers who disregard parking restrictions for the sake of a shorter stroll to the beach.
“We want to encourage and support visitors to our wonderful area but just ask them to consider the safety of others when parking; and a level of fines that reflects the true costs of patrolling and enforcing will help us to do this.
“We’ve consistently asked the Government to let us do more, and a number of MPs have backed the proposals we submitted, so it is pleasing that Ministers have now decided to act.”