1 TJiursday, September 30th, 2004 No. 6,168 news and views from the Centre of the Kingdom vertiser an imes /«


Drivers hit by parking scheme


by Faiza Afzaal______


CARELESS motorists have been given a hefty 116 park­ ing tickets and 46 warning notices by R ib b le V a lley ’s new parking a t ten d an ts in the first three weeks of the new “ParkWise” scheme. Armed with hand-held key­


pads, the three council- employed attendants have been patrolling the streets of the bor­ ough to clampdown on law­ breaking drivers who had been enjoying a free parking bonanza. The ParkWise scheme has


seen Ribble Valley Borough Council take over responsibiUty from the police for enforcing parking rules across the borough in a bid to improve safety and reduce congestion. This means drivers caught


parking on double yellow lines, limited waiting areas, disabled and loading bays or bus stops will be fined £60, reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days. Earlier this month, council


bosses performed a U-turn when they opted not to issue on-street fines during the first two weeks of the scheme. Instead they offered a fort­


night’s “period of grace” from September 6th for drivers to get


used to the new parldng regime. However, tickets were issued


on cars over-staying their wel­ come on council-run car parks and in total 65 tickets had been handed out in the first 14 days. Full on-street enforcement


was under way last week, with 13 unlucky drivers getting tick­ ets on the first day - a quiet Sun­ day - in the Lincoln Way area of Clitheroe. Mr Daniel Herbert, Ribble


Valley Council’s principal engi­ neer said a total of 116 tickets had been handed out in just 23 days into the scheme. Therefore, council bosses will


receive between £3,480 and £6,960 in fines, depending on how quickly people pay. Mr Herbert commented:


“Since the ParkWise scheme has come into force, the roads seem to be less congested and the attendants are certainly making their presence felt. “We have had numerous posi­


tive conirnents from traders about the free flow of traffic and the amount of parking spaces available for short-stay shop­ pers.


“However, despite all the pub­


licity in the run-up to the scheme, during that period, 46 warning notices were issued - 33 in Clitheroe, nine in Longridge


and four in Whalley, and now altogether 116 fines have been handed out. “Motorists have been given


enough warning and if they con­ tinue to park illegally, they should be prepared to face the fine.” Commenting on the public’s


reaction to the attendants, Mr Herbert, added: “There have been no major problems, apart from some minor incidents of ver­ bal abuse - nothing we can’t han­ dle.”


Mr Herbert also added that the


annual parking permits for use on long-stay car parks within the Ribble Valley are due for renewal. For existing permit-holders, the


permit runs out tomorrow and the hew ones are available priced £40 from the borough council. These can now be pmchased at


any time of the year. This will entitle the motorists


to park for an imlimited period of time on any day on any of the fol­ lowing long-stay car parks:- Chester Avenue (does not include parking bays reserved for park and ride customers); Peel Street; Edisford Road (October to April); Holden Street; North Street; Whalley Road; Mitchell, Street- allin Chtheroe. Mardale.Road and Barclay


■ Road in Longridge; Pope Croft, Ribchester and Slaidbum.


Cuppas for charity


m o n e y poured in as tea, coffee and milkshakes were poured out for Macmillan Cancer Relief's World's Biggest Coffee Morning. A group of Year 7 and 11 pupils from Clitheroe Royal


Grammar School raised serving refreshments. and Booths' supermarkets contributed towards the event. (B240904/7)


• Coffee morning roun^-up, page 50. FAMILY NOTICES... PAGES 26,27 ■ AT YOUR SERVICE ...PAGES 8.9 ■ VILLAGE MEWS... tm


SALE N OW FN.


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Hate mail slammed


pO L lcE o f f ic e r s have joined forces with the Lancashire Council of Mosques to condemn a “hate mailins” sent direct­ ly to homes and businesses of Moslems across East Lancashire* including an address jn Clitheroe. Officers from both Pen­


nine and Eastern D iv i­ sions are investigating the source of a letter which has been received by a number of people over the past Week- The content of the letter


' sometimes addressed to the recipient by name, but


sometimes addressed to “The Occupier” - contains an offensive illustration


and text, f f fs being sent in a plain whit® envelope and tke address is on a sticky label.


far, four of the letters


have been received in the Eastern Division area - including Clitberoe, Blackburn and Darwen - and six letters have been received in Pennine Divi­ sion^ all m Nelson- All have been seized and


are being examined. Supt Neil Smith, Opera­


tions Manager for Pennine Division, said; "The con­ tent of these letters is extremely offensive to


^uyone who may receive one and, in Particular, to people of Moslem faith.


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