Are traffic wardens scaring Tendring's tourists away? (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)
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Are traffic wardens scaring Tendring's tourists away?
4:30pm Saturday 19th January 2013 in News
COUNCIL bosses claim heavy-handed traffic wardens are frightening tourists away from Tendring's Sunshine Coast.
Almost 5,800 motorists were fined for on-street parking offences last year.
The tickets raised nearly £160,000 for North Essex Parking Partnership which took over the enforcement of on-street parking in April 2011.
Tendring Council, which still polices its own car parks, handed out just 805 tickets – raising £17,700 – last year.
Cabinet spokesman Nick Turner said: “These figures show that the partnership and Tendring Council are not fully aligned.
“The policy of Tendring is for a car-friendly district and the enforcement officers are there to offer advice, such as where not to park.
“We want a light touch to keep traffic moving.
“The 18 per cent increase in penalty notices and a 61 per cent increase in successful appeals, plus a 26 per cent increase in fines paid for by our residents, visitors and guests, shows a differing set of priorities.”
Council leader Peter Halliday was also worried about the effect it could have on visitors to the coast.
Tourism is worth a massive £360million to Tendring.
"We want to welcome people to our towns - not slap them with a ticket as soon as they turn up," he said.
The North Essex Parking Partnership is run by Colchester Council and County Hall.
A spokesman said: “The partnership enforces all parking and waiting restrictions across the partnership area to help ensure safe traffic flow, reduce congestion and maximise availability for those wishing to park.”
Comments(10)
Linstock
says...
8:32am Sun 20 Jan 13
How many tickets are given to Tendring residents compared to visitors? what no proper information?
Tendring DC does not check car parks as frequently as it used to but still dishes tickets out when vehicles are found with a pay and display ticket.
The illegal car parking now taking place in Clacton is out of control, just watch the Zebra crossings in Gt Clacton and Holland and see how many times a day the lazy park on the white zig zags.
No regard for the safety of other road users.
This is more about the council wanting parking control and revenue back.
cavillas
says...
10:16am Sun 20 Jan 13
Ossiepith
says...
11:55am Sun 20 Jan 13
Linstock wrote:Couldn't have put it better, Absolutely correct. In the main article in the Clacton Gazette on Thursday someone was complaining that he'd got a ticket for parking in Ravensdale, Great Clacton. All I can say is that he was very unlucky. Illegal parking is a permanent feature of that road and it is very dangerous. In my opinion more parking tickets - not less - would lead to much safer roads.
Another misrepresentation of the truth, no one gets a ticket just for turning up.
How many tickets are given to Tendring residents compared to visitors? what no proper information?
Tendring DC does not check car parks as frequently as it used to but still dishes tickets out when vehicles are found with a pay and display ticket.
The illegal car parking now taking place in Clacton is out of control, just watch the Zebra crossings in Gt Clacton and Holland and see how many times a day the lazy park on the white zig zags.
No regard for the safety of other road users.
This is more about the council wanting parking control and revenue back.
FTWJackal
says...
6:51pm Sun 20 Jan 13
Illegal parking is illegal parking and deserves a ticket. That's as simple as it gets.
What has been badly planned by the Council, are the permits issued to all us residents. Take the car park at Sainsbury's.
Ever since these permits were issued, the car park has been ram packed and it's almost impossible to find a space between certain times.
Now The Council may consider this as some sort of triumph, but I fear they are really missing the obvious point.
These are not additional shoppers parking here, it is merely all the people who work in Clacton and those commuters using the rail station. All these people have to do is pay for the first couple of hours until 10am and then the rest of the day is free. This is obviously much cheaper than parking anywhere else.
I believe they should have put a restriction of max 4 hours with no return to that car park for 2 hours. This would meen that those of us who want to actually shop in Clacton are actually able to find a decent parking space. It may also prevent people from wanting to chance illegal parking.
Linstock
says...
8:36am Mon 21 Jan 13
The cost of the "free parking" scheme has been met by neglecting parts of Clacton.
Reduced grass cutting and road sweeping in residential streets along with neglected gully cleaning, we now have drains grassed over in our scruffy street and flooded areas when we have heavy rain.
To encourage tourists the area needs to be attracitve and crime free, some hopes of that with those in power at the moment.
We have a car and can afford to park it, we need to, we are closer to Colchester than Clacton, the scheme is unfair to many of Tendrings residents especially those without cars.
Tendring amounts to more than Clacton or the area around Clacton Pier, but that is where funds are spent.
alfie2007
says...
8:45pm Mon 21 Jan 13
AllforChris
says...
9:41pm Mon 21 Jan 13
AllforChris
says...
9:43pm Mon 21 Jan 13
botbot
says...
7:33pm Tue 22 Jan 13
SOMETHING2SAY says...
7:41pm Sat 19 Jan 13