Fear Stalks the Streets of Powys

Press Release to the BBC

Fear now stalks the street of the towns and villages of Powys. For long residents had thought themselves fortunate to live in a county where friendliness prevailed and a smile is the norm.

Since Powys County Council took over responsibility for parking enforcement from the police on April 1st, everything has changed.

Residents of our towns and villages long used to the tolerant, commonsense enforcement of local parking regulations by community police, now spend their time on the lookout for any of Powys’ ten new smartly uniformed Civil Enforcement Offices scouring the streets for wrongdoers (they generally hunt in packs of two), or scurry round looking for somewhere safe to park.

Visitors upon whom so much of our economy depends now find themselves unwilling benefactors of our avaricious council, the fines levied on their unwitting parking misdemeanours flowing into county coffers.

One visitor who parked outside a bay alongside two CEOs sitting in their vans in the full to overflowing Hay on Wye town centre Car Park, returned to find her car ticketed; a carer, responsible for the day to day needs of a nonagenarian resident, has been ticketed and chased off the street beside the house she must visit; a visitor to the town centre ticketed in an area where it seems no parking order apples whilst only this week, a resident received a ticket from a warden who himself had parked illegally!

Ill will and anger prevail and contempt is building for a county council perceived to be unrepresentative and avaricious. CRAP, the Campaign for a Realistic Approach to Parking, through its blog, on-line petition and campaign of publicity is pressurising Powys County Council to consult with its constituency over this contentious and divisive issue

ENDS