Consultation launched on less 'heavy-handed' parking enforcement

The Government has launched a consultation on potential changes to local authority parking enforcement, including the revision of guidance so that councils take “a less heavy-handed approach”.

The key elements of the consultation – being run jointly by the Department for Transport and the Department for Communities and Local Government – are:

• how to limit the use of CCTV for on–street parking enforcement “in some or all circumstances”;
• whether local communities and businesses should be given the right to require authorities to review aspects of their parking strategies “including the level of parking charges, whether parking should be free for a time, and whether double yellow lines are appropriate and necessary at particular locations”;
• whether there should be a statutory requirement for local authorities to allow a ‘grace period’ where a driver has over-stayed in a paid for parking place for a short period before issuing a parking ticket;
• updating parking enforcement guidance to emphasise "a less heavy-handed approach” to parking enforcement and that parking charges and fines should not be used to subsidise other areas of local government spending.

The Transport Secretary has meanwhile announced that parking penalty charges will be frozen for the remainder of this Parliament.

The consultation, which can be viewed here, runs until 14 February.