Gloucester City Council fails to enforce parking by-law

A city council has been branded "disgracefully incompetent" for not punishing law-breaking motorists.

Thousands of pounds was spent by Gloucester City Council introducing signs warning motorists that if they parked on Linden Playing Field they could be fined £500.

But despite the signs being ignored, the council has not successfully issued any fines, one councillor said.

Council leader Richard Cook said the issue had "substantially improved".

There is a parking by-law which bans people from parking on The Lannett in King Edwards Avenue.

Leader of the council's Labour group, Terry Pullen, said he had "provided the council with numerous and significant evidence of vehicles who continue to park on the grass", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

He said that because of a "technicality" relating to the by-law the council cannot issue on the spot penalty fines.

Instead it must prosecute motorists who flout the rules, something it has failed to do within the six month timeframe required on at least two occasions, he claimed.

"Apparently, the council and its legal team has attempted legal action recently through the courts but failed to get a prosecution because they were unable to comply correctly with legal processes and deadlines," he said.

"This incompetence is disgraceful."

Councillor for Moreland, Tree Chambers-Dubus, said residents had "lost trust and faith in the city council and its ability to take action".

Mr Cook said the environment crime team has spoken with residents and delivered leaflets to all households to let people know that they take these offences "very seriously".

He said: "Following these visits the parking issues had substantially improved so we were advised to hold off on any legal action and continued to monitor the situation.

"It is disappointing to learn that there have been recent reports of parking on the grass, as well as careless and inconsiderate driving, and we are fully prepared to issue fines of up to £500 under the parking by-laws to anyone caught parking illegally.

"We are also working in partnership with local neighbourhood police officers to prepare notices giving them powers to seize or remove any vehicles being used in a manner causing alarm, distress or annoyance."

Additional reporting by Ollie Pritchard-Jones

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