Parking annual reports: What’s your story?

Last year’s PARC Awards winners were announced at the House of Commons reception, hosted by Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, and member of the Transport Select Committee. The awards were presented by broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth.

Last year’s PARC Awards winners were announced at the House of Commons reception, hosted by Huw Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle, and member of the Transport Select Committee. The awards were presented by broadcaster and author Gyles Brandreth.

Local authorities are invited to submit their Annual Reports to the PATROL PARC (Parking Annual Reports by Councils) Awards for 2017/18.

PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulation Outside London) is accepting reports from local authorities until Thursday 28 February 2019, with all shortlisted authorities invited to a reception at the House of Commons on 16 July.

Louise Hutchison, director of PATROL, says: “Civil enforcement continues to be a headline opportunity for both local and national media, and it is easy for the focus to be on revenue rather than service provision, with readers left with the impression that all local authorities make a significant surplus from their parking and enforcement activities.”

The PARC Awards for 2016/17 Annual Reports, held last year, underlined the importance of the word ‘local’, with parking strategies, implementation and development responding to very local needs. “Articulating and communicating regularly on civil enforcement in a compelling, clear and transparent way, set against the broader context of strategic traffic management objectives that benefit individuals and the community as a whole, is an important element in the stakeholder engagement strategy of a local authority,” says Hutchinson.

“Having an informative and well-designed parking Annual Report can simplify the process for local authorities to demonstrate their benefit and value to the local area, and help to change public attitudes towards enforcement.”

Councillor Jamie Macrae chair of the PATROL Adjudication Joint Committee, said: “Creating a coherent, well-structured annual report will be a vital tool in your ongoing engagement with the public and the press. Civil enforcement continues to be a headline opportunity for both local and national media, and it is easy to be left with the impression that all local authorities make a surplus from their parking and enforcement activities.”

Email entries to: info@patrol-uk.info
About PATROL
PATROL (Parking and Traffic Regulations Outside London) comprises over 300 local authorities in England (outside London) and Wales, which undertake civil enforcement of parking, bus lanes and, in Wales, moving traffic. The main purpose of PATROL is to provide access to independent adjudication for appeals against penalty charge notices arising from enforcement. Adjudication is delivered through the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

The Traffic Penalty Tribunal adjudicators also decide appeals against penalties issued as a result of road-user charging at the Dartford and Mersey Gateway Bridge Crossings, and within the Durham Road User Charge Zone. From 2020, the Tribunal will also decide appeals arising from penalties issued for failing to pay the charge in charging Clean Air Zones.

Other PATROL activities include maintaining dialogue with policy makers, undertaking initiatives to support local authority members and promoting efforts to raise public awareness of the objectives of civil enforcement.

The annual PATROL PARC (Parking Annual Reports by Councils) Awards promote and share best practice amongst local authorities in the production of parking annual reports. PATROL has produced a toolkit to assist authorities in producing reports and reporting on statistics and finance.

The PATROL Joint Committee has also supported the Traffic Penalty Tribunal in its drive for a more efficient and transparent appeal process through investment in the Tribunal’s award-winning online appeals system, FOAM (Fast Online Appeals Management).
www.patrol-uk.info