Decision details

The Department of Transport (DfT) had invited local authorities with Designation Orders for parking enforcement to apply to enforce moving traffic offences. This would help improve road safety, reduce congestion, and promote active traffic and clean air policies.  Enforcement of moving traffic offences outside of London and Cardiff was currently undertaken by the Police.

Across England, all authorities were now permitted to apply and enforce parking and bus lane contraventions.  This was by way of an application for a Designation Order. Buckinghamshire Council currently had five Designation Orders, which in their entirety cover the whole of the Buckinghamshire county.  The number of Designation Orders was largely due to the timing when legacy Councils respectively applied for civil parking enforcement powers covering on and off street, and bus lanes.

The powers would enable the Council to enforce certain moving traffic offences such as, no entry, yellow box junctions, banned turns, and environmental weight limits. The powers also allowed stopping on school keep clears to be enforced by camera, as long as they were supported by a valid Traffic Regulation Order. A full list of contraventions that could be enforced utilising these powers is provided at Appendix A of the report.

The new powers did not allow the Council to enforce structural weight limits; these had not been included on the final list and enforcement of these restrictions would remain with the Police. The difference between an environmental weight restriction and a structural weight restriction was provided at Appendix B of the report.

The Cabinet report also contained information:

-                     On the key benefits of the Council adopting the new powers.

-                     On the conditions that a local authority must meet and commit to in respect of bringing forward moving traffic enforcement sites.

-                     That to support the application and make sure local authorities progressed and implemented the new powers in a timely manner, the DfT had requested that specific sites were identified on the applications and enforcement was then introduced to ensure the Order was used.  A list of the specified sites was detailed at paragraph 2.19 of the Cabinet report.

-                     That enforcement was carried out using an approved device. This was a camera with automatic number plate recognition that had been certified by the VCA (Vehicle Certification Agency).

-                     That the aspiration was to undertake a review of the initial locations approximately 12 months following installation of the cameras. This would enable sufficient time to pass following the six-month period of warning notices to first offenders. In the meantime, compliance levels would be regularly monitored.

-                     That all new locations, after the initial period, would be agreed in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport.  This would include the requirement for a minimum 6 week consultation for every new location, although further approvals from the DfT would not be required.

-                     That to publicly engage with Members, local businesses, residents, and visitors a consultation had taken place from 21 February 222 to 4 April 2022.  The outcome had resulted in 477 responses, of which 63% supported enforcement of moving traffic offences in Buckinghamshire.  A large number of responders also supported the initial locations. A summary of the responses from the consultation could be found in Appendix C to the Cabinet report.

RESOLVED –

(1)               That approval be granted for an application to be submitted to the Department for Transport for Buckinghamshire Council to apply for a Designation Order to enforce moving traffic offences.

(2)               That the cost of the cameras including the processing system, estimated at £276,000, be met from within the existing capital programme.