Local Parking Management: Two Things I Have Learned Today
In the last few days, a couple of parking based questions have been posed to me, and I've had to go away and ask an expert (in this case, Fred Miller of FHDC - thanks Fred) for a full answer. In both cases, the answers come from national legisation or guidelines, rather than local rules. I thought them worth sharing:
1. Can we have a different parking restrictions in our CPZ area between summer weekdays and summer weekends, and then different restrictions in the Winter?
There is guidance on this in the Traffic Signs Manual section 13.17.5 which recommends not applying different conditions on different days. The adjudicators also strongly recommend avoiding complex signs, and are usually on the side of the motorist when complicated restrictions are introduced. Different conditions summer weekdays / weekends, as well as winter/summer months, will be a problem.
So, essentially, not really.
2. Why are Parking Fines / Parking Charges / CPNs set at the level they are?
A National Statutory Instrument (http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2007/3487/schedule/made) sets the level of charges / fines, and outside London there are two bands. Within each band there is a lower charge for low level contraventions.
- Lower Band: £60 / £40
- Higher Band: £70 / £50
Folkestone and Hythe DC charge the higher band: £70 for higher level contraventions (yellow lines, disabled bays, permit bays etc.), and £50 for lower level contraventions (overstaying in on/off street bays, expired tickets, not parked within bay markings etc.) Both reduced by 50% if paid within 14 days, again, as specified by the Statutory Intrument.
To be fair, it's probably best Councils don't set their own parking charges, but if you think they need changing nationally, that will require Government to make the change.
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