Decision details

The Parking Services & Streetcare Manager referred Members to his report which sought approval from Cabinet for the Council to provide civil parking enforcement (CPE) back-office Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) processing functions on behalf of additional Local Authorities across South Wales. Members were reminded that RCT had significant experience of operating a CPE service and since April 2018, had been providing back-office PCN processing services for Merthyr Tydfil CBC. He added that in addition to the stated desire of the former Gwent Councils to externalise their back-office processing, there may also be scope for RCT to offer such services for other Local Councils as well.

The Officer also continued to provide Members with a brief update with regards to the Council’s mobile camera parking enforcement service, which had recently been introduced to help tackle problem parking outside schools, adjacent to pedestrian crossing points and in bus stop clearways. Members were advised that preliminary data indicated that almost 822 motorists had already been caught parking unlawfully by the Council’s Parking Enforcement Vehicle up to the end of October.  The Officer further continued by advising  that the Motorists observed parking unlawfully were issued with formal warning Notices for the first 2 weeks, with PCNs only being issued from the third week of operation. Over this period, 172 warning Notices were initially issued.

The Leader supported the collaboration working proposed within the report commenting on the previous positive collaborative working undertaken within this area.

County Borough Councillor P Jarman also spoke on this item.

Following discussions it was RESOLVED:

1.  That a regional hub for the processing of Penalty Charge Notices issued by Local Authorities across South Wales, be established, with RCT as the lead Authority.

2.  To support implementation requirements for the new regional service, including the appointment of appropriate additional staff resources in Highways and Streetcare Services.

3.  To duly note the update provided regarding the mobile camera parking enforcement service.

(N.B at this juncture in the meeting County Borough Councillor M Adams, P Jarman and R Yeo left the meeting).