Could Hay-on-Wye's potential tourists and shoppers be frightened off by over-zealous parking enforcement?'Mean' Parking Penalties
Today's Hereford Times (26th January) carried the following letter from Hay-on-Wye resident and business owner, James Gibson-Watt.
We thought it worthwhile reprinting it here.
Despite an apparent relaxation of its efforts over the Christmas and New Year period, it seems that Powys County Council is intent on continuing it vendetta against the shops and small businesses of the county, to devastating effect. The council's civil enforcement officers (CEOs) - traffic wardens to you and I - have been busy slapping penalty charge notices (PCNs) on the few cars that dare to visit the half-deserted streets of our market towns, frightening local people and visitors away to supermarkets inside and outside the county, where there is no fear of receiving a PCN while doing their shopping.
When I recently challenged the council's cabinet member for Highways, Councillor Geraint Hopkins, about this toe told me that if the CEOs did not strictly enforce the regulations 'there would be traffic chaos in Powys’s towns', Well, there may be some truth in that on high days and holidays in places like Hay-on-Wye or Brecon, but on weekdays in the middle of January? I think not.
On Monday, January 16, in Hay-on-Wye I witnessed a CEO issuing a PCN for a vehicle that had been parked for longer than the permitted time in a time-limited zone. Not only were there spare parking spaces in that zone at the time, there were dozens of spare spaces in the other time-limited zones around the town.
The purpose of enforcement in time limited zones is to help free up parking spaces at busy times, There is no purpose in such enforcement when there is no pressure for parking spaces, as was certainly the case on that Monday and has been the case throughout January in Hay, I can only conclude that the PCN was issued because Cllr Hopkins and his colleagues are insisting that the CEOs behave in this way.
When asked why he had issued the PCN In these circumstances the CEO responded by saying he was 'only doing his job', which rather confirms the point.
In mid-winter Powys's shops and market towns depend on local trade. Powys County Council seems intend on destroying that local trade through its ludicrously zealous parking enforcement policies.
When I recently challenged the council's cabinet member for Highways, Councillor Geraint Hopkins, about this toe told me that if the CEOs did not strictly enforce the regulations 'there would be traffic chaos in Powys’s towns', Well, there may be some truth in that on high days and holidays in places like Hay-on-Wye or Brecon, but on weekdays in the middle of January? I think not.
On Monday, January 16, in Hay-on-Wye I witnessed a CEO issuing a PCN for a vehicle that had been parked for longer than the permitted time in a time-limited zone. Not only were there spare parking spaces in that zone at the time, there were dozens of spare spaces in the other time-limited zones around the town.
The purpose of enforcement in time limited zones is to help free up parking spaces at busy times, There is no purpose in such enforcement when there is no pressure for parking spaces, as was certainly the case on that Monday and has been the case throughout January in Hay, I can only conclude that the PCN was issued because Cllr Hopkins and his colleagues are insisting that the CEOs behave in this way.
When asked why he had issued the PCN In these circumstances the CEO responded by saying he was 'only doing his job', which rather confirms the point.
In mid-winter Powys's shops and market towns depend on local trade. Powys County Council seems intend on destroying that local trade through its ludicrously zealous parking enforcement policies.
It should think again before it is too late.
JAMES GIBSON-WATT, Hay-on-Wye,
3 comments:
I believe Mr gibson-watt failed to mention that it might have been his car that received the pcn notice.
....I believe Mr gibson-watt failed to mention that it might have been his car that received the pcn notice...
What,another ticket,or was that the one I saw slapped on his windscreen after being parked on double yellows all afternoon outside the Chinese Take away?
Take a walk around the retail streets of Hay and note how many shop owners cars,and resident cars,are being "shuffled" from free parking places throughout the day!
If you own a shop in Hay,and are unable to walk to work,then park your car in the main car park and this will
"free up" a parking space for potential customers!
If you rent, or own, a house in the middle of Hay,why do you assume that you should get "free" parking outside your door?Pay to park in the main car park. Hay town centre is not big enough for every resident to have a parking space.
On another point, has anyone seen a Post van get a parking ticket? They park not only on double yellows,but straddling them up on the pavement,every morning from 7am until up to 9am. I have seen the "traffic wardens" walk past these vans and not give them a second look, so if you want to park in Hay,anywhere, for free,buy a second hand Post van!!
As a matter of fact I was not referring to the one put on my pick-up some weeks ago and against which I successfully appealed. I have not had one since (touch wood) and my beef is against the strict enforcement in 'time-limited' zones, which as I said in my letter to the HT is only sensible at times of high parking pressure to keep spaces freed up. In the middle of winter strict enforcement is just done out of spite and to raise revenue for the council. It is not only Hay that is suffering this vendetta. Every other town in Powys is too and it is creating the same ill-feeling and economic damage in those places as it is in Hay.
James Gibson-Watt
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