Parking and litter enforcement in Torfaen could be merged

Sharing duties will allow for an ‘efficient and resilient’ service to established in the borough from July 1 – the day the council takes over civil parking enforcement from Gwent Police.

Officers would be responsible for enforcing civil parking matters including legal parking, as well as littering, dog fouling, dog exclusion zones and lead only areas.

Their remit could also be extended in the future to cover other offences including fly-posting, graffiti and smoking in prohibited places.

Smoking Picture: Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

The move in-house will also end the council’s contract with the controversial litter enforcement agency Kingdom.

“A clean and green and sustainable Torfaen is a key strategy,” says the council report.

“As part of this, the council is committed to a zero-tolerance approach including issuing fixed penalties or prosecuting those committing environmental and street parking offences.”

READ MORE: 

• Newport councillor urges Gwent Police to step up illegal parking enforcement
• Civil parking officer numbers 'wholly inadequate', says Caerphilly councillor

Gwent Police received 349 parking complaints from Torfaen residents in last year. Of these, 31 per cent related to obstructive parking, 15 per cent to dangerous parking and 11 per cent to parking on double yellow lines or in a no parking area.

Figures show that the most problematic street in Torfaen in 2018 was Newman Road in the Trevethin ward of Pontypool, with 11 incidents reported.

Newman Road in Pontypool which was deemed a hotspot by Gwent Police in 2018. Picture: Google

Torfaen council currently receives a ‘very low’ number of complaints relating to lines and signs parking, as these were previously directed to the police, but these are expected to increase after July.

Around £2.5 million is spent each year keeping Torfaen’s streets clean, of which £500,000 is set aside for cleansing and litter picking.

Between April 2016 and December 2017, there were 1,051 litter and 792 dog fouling complaints. The estimated cost of responding to these requests is £90,000.

Kingdom enforcement officers have issued 973 fixed penalty notices for litter and dog control offences since May 2017, though 48 people have appealed against fines issued by the service.

READ MORE:

• Number of litter fines fall in Blaenau Gwent as complaints soar
• New county-wide dog control measures introduced in Torfaen

The council’s safer communities overview and scrutiny committee will consider two proposals which would cost up to £160,000 to set up.

Both options have a civil parking and environmental enforcement manager, enforcement officers and a support officer – though staffing levels vary between them.

Councillors will discuss the two options at a meeting on March 13.