MIHAI SIMONIA / SHUTTERSTOCK
NEWS
LOCAL AUTHORITY NEWS
CORNWALL COUNCIL OWED £250,000 IN UNPAID PCNS
WEST LONDON BOROUGHS UNITE
Virtual parking permits and an integrated back office are just two of the innovations brought into achieve a more efficient parking operation in three west London boroughs.
The boroughs have taken the unusual step of joining forces to create one service. The West London Alliance comprises Hounslow Ealing and Brent councils, and is the first and biggest joint service of its kind in the country. The hope is to generate substantial savings and, at the same time, improve services.
Serco is the contractor that will deliver the parking services under a five-year contract. The aim of the alliance is an improved parking service, achieved through economies of scale, new technology and more efficient working practices. Councillor Ed Mayne, Hounslow Council’s cabinet member for community safety and regulatory services, said: ‘This trailblazing agreement represents a great deal for Hounslow’s taxpayers and motorists. ‘It shows the way ahead for other councils who are faced with a perfect storm of cuts
and rising costs, so it’s a no-brainer for us to team up with our west London neighbours to deliver a high quality parking service and save money for Hounslow residents to boot.’ Cllr Bassam Mahfouz, cabinet member for transport and environment at Ealing Council, said: ‘This new contract is an excellent example of how west London boroughs are coming together to ensure we can make the savings that are needed while at the same time making real, palpable improvements in service.’
Elaine Bailey, managing director of Serco Home Affairs, said: ‘Serco has extensive experience in managing complex operations and innovative technologies to deliver efficiencies and economies of scale – and ultimately provide cost savings.’ It will see the introduction of ‘virtual’ parking permits for controlled parking zones, meaning motorists will no longer have to display paper permits on their windscreens. The introduction of new IT and pooling of back office resources will see an improved service delivered for the benefit of both residents and visitors to the boroughs.
A COSTLY SHOPPING TRIP
A shopping trip cost a Woodside man more than he had bargained for after he was found guilty of fraudulently using a disabled parking permit in central Croydon.
Appearing before Croydon magistrates, Stephen Sempasa, of Gunnell Close, was convicted
10 MAY 2013
after denying the charge. The blue badge had already been confiscated by the council, and, in addition to conditionally discharging him for six months, the bench ordered him to contribute £150 towards the prosecution costs.
The conviction resulted from
a joint partnership operation between Croydon and Lambeth Council’s parking services department.
Sempasa was seen parking his car after displaying a blue-badge parking permit. He walked from the car into Surrey Street Market, where he bought
some groceries before returning to the car.
He told the court that his wife, the badgeholder, was with him at the time – a claim that was countered by officer testimony to the effect that nobody was seen with him.
www.britishparking.co.uk
Figures show that Cornwall County Council is owed £263,247 in unpaid parking charges from the 2012/2013 period. This stems from 3,358 notices and are a substantial increase on the previous year, which saw just 351 notices unpaid; 10 times less. A whopping 2,236 warrants have been issued to claim the outstanding fines so far, compared to 21,835 the previous year.
Despite the discrepancy, the council remains confident it will make up the difference, saying in a statement to This Is Cornwall, ‘The figure for 2012/13 includes a high number of current cases. That is PCNs issued in the weeks before the figure was prepared. ‘These may not have been paid for many reasons. The early payment discount lasts 14 days, there may be an appeal. As the process for each case moves on, most of the recent cases will move from unpaid to paid or cancelled on appeal. ‘The total of unpaid PCN varies throughout the year as we collect money for PCNs we are constantly issuing more. At year end the unpaid PCN for the year decreases as we complete the collection process on each outstanding PCN. ‘With regard to 2011/12 we have had a long time for all the cases to be paid and thus the outstanding sum has decreased. The same will happened after year end to 2012/13.’
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52