Drivers in Brid are paying nearly HALF of all parking tickets in county

People in Bridlington are paying nearly half of all parking fines issued by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
The mayor of Bridlington said the town is a 'honeypot' after the council's parking report revealed motorists here are paying nearly half county's fixed penalty notices.The mayor of Bridlington said the town is a 'honeypot' after the council's parking report revealed motorists here are paying nearly half county's fixed penalty notices.
The mayor of Bridlington said the town is a 'honeypot' after the council's parking report revealed motorists here are paying nearly half county's fixed penalty notices.

More than 40% of 12,778 drivers slapped with a penalty notice in the last financial year were caught out in Bridlington.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s annual parking report reveals 5,226 drivers were stung in the resort, between April 2015 and March 2016.

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Beverley came in a distant second with 3,687 notices issued in that same time frame and a 29% share of the total issued.

It means Bridlington is by far the authority’s highest grossing town for parking fines.

Bridlington’s mayor, Cllr Liam Dealtry, said the council issuing Bridlington as a “honey pot” and a “piggybank”.

“They do use Bridlington as a piggybank – I have said this before,” said Cllr Dealtry.

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“The council should understand and give some leeway because there is not enough parking and, with all the roadworks and everything that are going on, it’s just wrong.

“We are a growing town and they want to stick 1,500 to 1,600 new houses up – but where are people going to park? It all needs addressing.”

The parking report shows total expenditure on enforcement well surpassed the income generated from penalty notices.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council spent £991,000 on operational enforcement, transport, supplies, support services and other expenditures.

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The total income for enforcement was £488,000 – leaving the authority with a deficit of more than half a million pounds.

The number of paid fines stood at 10,128 – but 2,650 are still to pay.

The parking report also shows 1,369 were challenged successfully, and 222 were written off for other reasons.

And 85.6% of motorists paid their fines at a discounted rate before the cost doubles after 14 days.

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The total income from on-street and off-street pay and display bays, permits, parking dispensations and suspensions, and penalty charge notices made the authority a profit of £152,000 in parking surplus.

This is down £285,000 on the previous financial year, which generated £437,000.

Bridlington’s busiest car park was Palace Car Park, with 92,300 tickets sold.

South Cliff Park and Ride came in second with 48,300 tickets sold, followed by Langdale Wharf with 48,000.

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The council says that, while it understands parking fines are not popular, they are an essential way of keeping the system working.

It has also urged drivers to take responsibility to make sure they do not end with a fine.

A council spokesperson said: “The council has a legal obligation to keep roads free-moving, safe and available to all users and the only way to achieve this is through civil parking enforcement.

“A common misconception is that civil parking enforcement and parking charges are a way for councils to raise income but this is not the case and it costs nothing to residents.

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“Revenue from parking charges and civil parking enforcement covers the cost of the services and any surplus is allocated to highway maintenance and transport initiatives, as legally stated by the Department for Transport.

“The council takes a balanced approach to civil parking enforcement and works with communities to resolve parking problems.

“If a penalty charge notice is issued in error, we have statutory appeals procedures.

“Civil enforcement officers offer leeway to motorists in a number of ways, for example penalty charge notices are only issued for expiration of pay and display tickets after a 10-minute grace period

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“Under national traffic regulations, a vehicle is in breach of parking rules if any part of it is outside bay markings.

“However, the council offers additional leeway with a ‘tyre footprint’ rule rather than, for example, a wing mirror being outside the lines.

“While car parking charges are never popular, they are important as they help manage the turnover of available spaces to benefit as many motorists as possible and it is drivers’ responsibility to park their vehicles in accordance with advertised parking restrictions.

“The council would also remind residents and visitors there is parking capacity in Bridlington, with a full list of on-street and off-street locations available on the council website.”