Parking enforcement pilot project begins in Telford

The projects sees Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) Ann Moore and Andy Hudson start work with additional powers and responsibilities relating to parking enforcement.

PCSOs Moore and Hudson will be familiar faces to many people locally as they have both worked in various Safer Neighbourhood Teams across Telford & Wrekin for a number of years.

The pilot itself – which will see the two PCSOs share a full time post - has been made possible thanks to funding from Newport Town Council, Wellington Town Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner, and will initially run for the next 12 months. After a year, the pilot will be reviewed and if it is deemed a success, there is the possibility that other PCSOs could be given the additional powers.

Speaking about the launch of this pilot project, Superintendent Nav Malik, Police Commander in Telford, said:

“This is an exciting project but I must thank the two town councils and the PCC for their assistance because without their funding we would not be able to make this pilot happen.

“Telford is quite unusual nationally as no Civil Parking Enforcement takes place, which means that previously responsibilities have fallen to the police. However, we simply do not have the resources to prioritise parking enforcement and that is why this pilot operation is being run.

“I’d like to reassure people that the PCSOs are very experienced and will not suddenly start handing out tickets from day one; initially they will be asked to show common sense and allow motorists a little leeway.

“However, repeat offenders need to be aware they will not get as much leeway and I’d also warn people that once the PCSOs have been in post for a few weeks they will begin to take a harder line as people will have had ample warning.

“The involvement of the two specific town councils will clearly have an impact on where the PCSOs spend most of their time and historically Newport and Wellington are the two towns where parking is the biggest issue. That is why the two councils have been so keen to support this pilot.

“I see this pilot as a very important new concept for Telford and I’m very proud of how hard my staff have worked to make this unique project happen for the first time in West Mercia. I look forward to finding out how the pilot progresses and it will be very interesting to see what sort of impact the new PCSOs have on parking habits in Newport and Wellington.”