Parking Operations

Annual Report
Financial Year 2009-2010
Index: Page

1. Introduction 1
2. Our Car Parks 1
3. Parking by Disabled Badge Holders 2
4. Free Saturday Parking 2
5. Maintenance 2
6 Performance Statistics 3
7 Income & Expenditure 4
8 Service 4
9 Training 4

1. Introduction

1.1. Basildon District Council enforce parking restrictions within the District both on-street
and within their own car parks. Using the powers under the Traffic Management Act
2004 the enforcement of parking is no longer a criminal offence within the District
and this has been the case since 1st April 2003 when the Council took over these
powers from Essex Police.

1.2. The transfer to the Traffic Management Act 2004 took place on the 31st March 2008
when “Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE)” was introduced replacing the previous
regime of “Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE)” enforced under the Road
Traffic Act 1991.

1.3. As the Enforcement Authority Basildon Council is totally responsible for the
enforcement of their own car parks and the relative Traffic Regulation Order is drawn
up and sealed by them. However, the Enforcement Authority for on-street
enforcement is Essex County Council and in this respect Basildon Council act as
their agents under the terms of a formal agreement between the two Councils.

1.4. This report is to be written by the Enforcement Authority consequently will cover car
park enforcement only. Essex County Council is responsible for publishing the on-
street parking enforcement report and we have supplied them with our performance
statistics for the year which will be amalgamated with the statistics received from the
eleven other District and Borough councils who act as their agents in a similar
manner to Basildon.

2. Our Car Parks:

2.1. As at 1st April 2009 Basildon Council operated 8 car parks within the District details of
these can be found on our website under parking information:

2.1.1. Billericay Lake Meadows – 200 spaces.

2.1.2. Billericay Radford Crescent - 125 spaces

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 2.1.3. Billericay High Street - 245 spaces

2.1.4. Wickford Main Car Park: - 280 spaces.

2.1.5. Wickford Ladygate Car Park – 48 spaces

2.1.6. Wickford Pool Car Park – 48 spaces

2.1.7. Gloucester Park South Car Park – 380 spaces (120 short and 260 Long Term
Spaces)

2.1.8. Basildon Centre Upper Car Park – 58 spaces

3. Parking by Disabled Badge Holders.

3.1. Disabled Badge holders are permitted to park without charge in our car parks (apart
from Radford Crescent) for up to 3 hours without charge. All of our car parks (apart
from Radford Crescent) have designated disabled parking bays but badge holders
may park in any available bay and enjoy the free parking allowance.

3.2. Drivers wishing to stay for longer than 3 hours should purchase a pay & display ticket
for the additional time and the badge will cover the 3 hours after the expiry of the
ticket.

3.3. Blue disabled badges should be clearly displayed at all time throughout the period
parking along with the parking disc (clock) set to show the time of arrival at the
parking place.

4. Free Saturday Parking:

4.1. It was decided by the Council’s Cabinet in February 2009 that, in response to the
recession and to promote the local economy, the Council’s car park charges would
be suspended on Saturdays making all of our car parks free of charge on this day
every week.

4.2. Financial Provision for this was made by the Council for the loss of income to cover
the whole financial year April 2009 – March 2010 after which the decision will be
reviewed.

4.3. To accommodate the free parking the service’s profiled income budget was reduced
by £100,000 and this will continue, at least, until the 31st March 2011

5. Maintenance:

5.1. Routine maintenance is carried out in all of our car parks to ensure that they remain
in a safe condition and the following was carried out in 2009 / 2010:

5.1.1. 2009 - Re-line Radford Crescent and Lake Meadows car park

5.1.2. 2009 - Re-line and designate new traffic flow in Billericay High Street car park.

5.1.3. 2009 - Develop Long Term Park Area in Gloucester Park South Car Park and
close the “grasscrete” parking area as the surface has become unsafe for
pedestrians.

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5.2. In 2010/11 only routine maintenance in our car parks will be undertaken.

6. Performance Statistics as at 1st October 2010 relating to parking penalties

issued between 1/4/09 & 31/3/10 in our car parks :

6.1. Parking Penalties:

Total Penalty Charge Notices Issued 2,526

Total issued at Higher Level £70 344

Total Issue at Lower Level £50 2,182

Number of Penalties paid at discount 1,472

Number of Penalties pay at full amount

213
or above

Total no of Penalties paid 1,685

Number of Informal (Challenges) or

455
Formal Representations received.

Number of Penalties cancelled as a

result of Informal or formal 343
representations being made

Number of Penalties cancelled for other

50
reasons (DVLA No Trace etc)

Number of penalties written off (Bailiffs

101
unable to recover etc)

Penalties that remain active 347

6.2. Adjudication:

Number of Appeals to the Traffic Penalty

14
Tribunal

Number Dismissed by the Traffic Penalty

9
Tribunal

Number Upheld by the Traffic Penalty

2
Tribunal

Cases where the Council withdrew and

offered “no contest” (usually where
additional evidence is offered to the 3
adjudicators that had previously had not
been offered to the Council)

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7. Income & Expenditure:

7.1. Income - £634,400.00

7.1.1. Pay & Display - £310,700.00

7.1.2. Season Tickets - £157,400.00

7.1.3. Penalty Charge Notices - £98,100.00*

* Income from PCN’s received in the financial year not necessarily from PCN’s
issued during the same period.

7.2. Expenditure: - £291,779.00

8. Service:

8.1. Parking Operations are based at Barleylands Depot, Barleylands Road, Billericay,
Essex, CM11 2UF. Unfortunately this office is no longer open to the public.

8.1.1. Contact Details: Tel: 01268 294970. Fax: 01268 294968

e-mail – carparks@basildon.gov.uk

9. Training:

9.1. All staff are fully trained and qualified to City & Guilds L2 standard to carry out their
duties correctly in accordance with the ruling legislation.

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