Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member:  Growth & Infrastructure

Forward Plan Ref: 2009/090

Contact: Pat Higgins, Group Manager, Traffic Enforcement Tel: (01865)

814022

Report by Head of Transport (CA9)

Oxfordshire County Council has been undertaking parking enforcement in the city of Oxford since 1997, initially under the Traffic Regulation Act 1991 and, since March 2008, under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

During this time policies and working practices have been developed from experience and from best practice drawn from other local authorities also undertaking Civil Parking Enforcement. These were the subject of a report to the delegated decisions session of the Cabinet Member for Transport on 24^th April 2008.

It is intended that West Oxfordshire District Council will be the first District within the County that will undertake Civil Parking Enforcement under an agency agreement.   Oxfordshire County Council, as the highways authority, is required to make an application to the Department for Transport to create a Civil Parking Area which will enable civil enforcement of the various parking regulations in the District of West Oxfordshire to be undertaken.

As part of this application to the Department for Transport Oxfordshire County Council is expected to have in place a comprehensive parking policy document indicating how various aspects of the Traffic Management Act 2004 will be implemented and enforced.

The attached draft policy document is designed to fulfil this requirement.  It contains an enforcement procedures section which will also serve to standardise the enforcement practices throughout the County as and when Civil Parking Enforcement is introduced.

Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the Parking Policy Document for use throughout those parts of the County where Civil Parking Enforcement is undertaken.

Cabinet noted that it was intended that West Oxfordshire District Council would be the first District within the County that will undertake Civil Parking Enforcement under an agency agreement.   Oxfordshire County Council, as the highways authority, was required to make an application to the Department for Transport to create a Civil Parking Area which would enable civil enforcement of the various parking regulations in the District of West Oxfordshire to be undertaken and as part of this application the Council was expected to have in place a comprehensive parking policy document.

Cabinet considered a report (CA9) seeking approval of such a comprehensive parking policy document (attached as an Annex) that indicated how various aspects of the Traffic Management Act 2004 would be implemented and enforced. It contained an enforcement procedures section which would also serve to standardise the enforcement practices throughout the County as and when Civil Parking Enforcement was introduced.

RESOLVED:             to approve the Parking Policy Document for use throughout those parts of the County where Civil Parking Enforcement is undertaken.