Parking enforcement in South Cambridgeshire could be taken over by the county council from police later this year.
An application will shortly be made to the Government with a decision expected to be made by October. The council is also preparing similar applications for Fenland and Huntingdonshire which it expects to send to the Department for Transport (DfT) later this year. Highways officers have worked closely with South Cambridgeshire District Council, Huntingdonshire District Council and Fenland District Council on the development of the schemes.
The decision by Cambridgeshire County Council to proceed with its plans to take over on-street parking enforcement was approved by members of its Highways & Transport Committee on Tuesday (7 March).
Benefits of this decision are expected to include increased compliance of parking restrictions which in turn would improve traffic flow, road safety and lead to a reduction in obstructive and dangerous parking. It would also support the economic growth of market towns.
The committee had signalled in September 2021 its desire for the council to replace the police as parking enforcers for South Cambridgeshire, Fenland and Huntingdonshire.
The council is almost ready to submit its application to the DfT for South Cambridgeshire, but further work is needed for the Fenland and Huntingdonshire applications before they are ready to be submitted. The aim is to have applications for the latter two sent off by the end of September. The intention is for the county council to take on the enforcement in South Cambridgeshire and the districts would in Fenland and Huntingdonshire sometime in 2024 (subject to government approval).
Cllr Alex Beckett, chair of Cambridgeshire County Council’s Highways & Transport Committee, said: “We know parking is a major issue for residents, but by taking over powers of enforcement we can help to clampdown on unauthorised parking which in turn will reduce traffic and improve accessibility on our streets.
“This is not about trying to hammer motorists for extra income as this will actually cost money in the short term. Instead, it is about making our communities better places to live which is something we can’t put a price on.”
To read the papers from the meeting, visit the council’s website. To watch a recording of the meeting, visit the council’s YouTube page.
