By Vivienne Russell | 27 September 2013
Councils should be banned from using closed-circuit television, such as so-called ‘spy cars’, for parking enforcement, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said today.
He said the government wanted to rein in ‘over-zealous’ enforcement measures. ‘Parking spy cars are just one example of this and a step too far,’ he said.
‘Public confidence is strengthened in CCTV if it is used to tackle crime, not to raise money for council coffers.’
According to the Department for Communities and Local Government, the amount raised by councils from parking charges more than doubled from £608m to £1.3bn between 1997 and 2010, and nine million parking fines are issued every year by English local authorities.
Retail expert Mary Portas’s review of high street shops warned that ‘significantly expensive’ parking charges were harming local trade.
The bar on CCTV is one of a range of proposals ministers want to put out to consultation. Other ideas include a review of the grace period for parking offences, a review of ‘unnecessary’ yellow lines and the possibility of increasing the scope for residents’ reviews.
Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘Previously, ill thought-out policies have led to an increase in congestion and parking problems on our streets. By making sensible changes such as providing more parking spaces for local shoppers we can help ease traffic flow whilst supporting our vibrant high streets. Arbitrary parking rules force shoppers online or to out of town stores, causing lasting damage to local firms and small shops.’
But the Local Government Association hit back saying parking controls were not about revenue raising but about keeping roads clear and ensuring people could park close to their homes and local shops.
Tony Ball, vice chair of the LGA’s economy and transport board, said: ‘Camera cars have been instrumental in keeping children from being hurt or killed on the way to school, and CCTV plays an important role elsewhere in monitoring traffic flow and keeping cars moving.
‘Nobody likes getting a parking fine but the fact that less than 1% go to adjudication shows that in the vast majority of cases councils get it right.’
