Query on Illegal Parking Policy in Beaumaris

ian banks made this Freedom of Information request to Isle of Anglesey Council

The request was successful.

From: ian banks

5 July 2010

Dear Isle of Anglesey Council,

I currently own the property of 1 Castle Mews, Rating Row in
Beaumaris but suffer from the perpetual problem of vehicles being
constantly parked on the yellow line blocking the front of my
garage. In addition to this, and just adjacent to my garage, a
large van from the Castle Bakery has now been permanently parked in
the same spot on a yellow line for 2 to 3 months (and has not
received any parking fines).

Therefore, my three questions to you, made under the Freedom of
Information Act, are how regularly do parking attendants cover
Beaumaris; how many parking fines have been issued by Anglesey
Council in Beaumaris over the last 12 months; and how many parking
fines have actually been issued on Rating Row itself during that 12
month period?

Yours faithfully,

Ian Banks

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From: LEGA LPOLICY CYFRAITH POLISI
Isle of Anglesey Council

6 July 2010

Thank you for your recent request for information held by Isle of
Anglesey County Council. For your information, this is not an
automatically generated response.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the
Environmental Information Regulations 2004, we aim to respond to your
request within 20 working days. In some instances we may be unable to
achieve this deadline, in which case we will advise you of the likely
timescale within which the response will be provided.

Please do not hesitate to contact me for further advice or guidance
relating to the above.

Yours sincerely

Beryl Jones
Information Compliance Officer,
Isle of Anglesey County Council

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From: ian banks

6 July 2010

Dear Beryl,

Many thanks for your very prompt reply - much appreciated. I look
forward to receiving further confirmations from you shortly.

Yours sincerely,

Ian Banks

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From: PEMOUT
Isle of Anglesey Council

8 July 2010

Our Ref: 021.71/MD/PEM157005

Dear Mr Banks,

I refer to your E-Mail dated 06/07/2010 which asked for information under
the terms of the Freedom Of Information Act 2000 (FOIA).

Your enquiry is considered to be a request for Environmental Information
as defined in paragraph 2 of Environmental Information Regulations
2004(EIR) and as such it has been dealt with under this legislation as
required by Section 39 of FOIA.

You have requested information regarding the illegal parking policy within
Beaumaris, namely:

“how regularly do parking attendants cover Beaumaris?”

During the summer, Parking Civil Enforcement Officers aim to visit
Beaumaris every day. During the winter it may not be possible to visit
the Town every day, but at least 5 visits a week are aimed to be made.

“how many parking fines have been issued by Anglesey Council in
Beaumaris over the last 12 months?”

Between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010 a total of 209 Penalty Charge Notices
were issued in Beaumaris.

“how many parking fines have actually been issued on Rating Row itself
during that 12 month period?”

On Rating Row (from junction with Church Street to Castle Street and area
adjacent to Cadnant Court) between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010, 43
Penalty Charge Notices were issued.

I trust that this information satisfies your request.
Yours sincerely,

Marc Davies
Uchel Swydd Cymorth Cynorthwyol/Senior Assistant Support Officer
Gwasanaethau Amgylchedd a Thechnegol/Environmental & Technical Services
Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn/Isle of Anglesey County Council

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From: ian banks

8 July 2010

Dear Mr Davies,

Many thanks for your very speedy response.

This information would seem fine were it not for the fact that a
road-taxed bakery van from Castle Bakery has now been parked in the
same position without moving on the single yellow line on Rating
Row for at least 2 months now (probably more like 3) and as far as
I can tell, have never been issued with a parking ticket.

Further to this, my garage door to 1 Castle Mews (just behind and
on the same side as the the Olde Bull Inne) is constantly blocked
by illegally parked cars - and sometimes by the same car for 24
hours at a time.

I am sure you can understand my huge frustration as a Council Tax
payer at this situation (particularly as I try very had not to park
on Rating Row myself - as that would make me a hypocrite). However,
I have now been having to put up with this constantly for several
years, and am reaching the end of my teather.

As such, I would request further formal confirmation from the
council, as to the clear difference that exists between your stated
illegal parking enforcement policy, and the actuality encountered
in day-to-day situations (for most of the time, and/or apparently
for a few notable exempt cases). Failing that, I would like some
advice on how to best address this formally.

Yours sincerely,

ian banks

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From: PEMOUT
Isle of Anglesey Council

8 July 2010

Dear Mr Davies,

I acknowledge the receipt of your e-mail dated 08/07/2010.

Your e-mail has not been deemed a Freedom Of Information Act (FoIA)
request.

I have however forwarded your e-mail onto the authorities Parking
manager Mr J Alun Roberts, who will respond in due course.

Yours Sincerely,
Marc Davies
Uchel Swydd Cymorth Cynorthwyol/Senior Assistant Support Officer
Gwasanaethau Amgylchedd a Thechnegol/Environmental & Technical
Services
Cyngor Sir Ynys Môn/Isle of Anglesey County Council

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From: ian banks

9 July 2010

Dear PEMOUT,

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

ian banks

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From: PEMOUT
Isle of Anglesey Council

12 July 2010

Dear Mr Banks,

I write in relation to your comments regarding parking adjacent to
Castle Mews in Beaumaris. It is understandable that you are frustrated
regarding parking outside your property and I therefore write to clarify
the situation and the context of the current position.

No enforcement is currently undertaken along this section of Rating Row
as there are no appropriate signs to indicate that the parking
restriction is in force between 8am and 7pm. Normally the Authority
would arrange the necessary works and enforce the restrictions. However
at the request of Beaumaris Town Council, the County Council has been
asked to investigate suitable locations for the installation of
additional free short stay parking bays as near as possible to Castle
Street. Sections of Rating Row have been identified as suitable for this
purpose as it is a one way street and suitably wide enough to
accommodate parking on one side.

The proposals for the lower section of Rating Row (from Castle Street
to Cadnant Court) are as follows -

Cadnant Court side - amend the existing single yellow line parking
restriction 8am-7pm to double yellow lines (parking prohibited at all
times)

Castle Mews side - amend existing single yellow line parking
restrictions 8am-7pm as listed below -
Length adjacent to the entrance into Olde Bull Inne courtyard- double
yellow lines
From entrance into Old Bull Inne courtyard to Castle Mews garage door -
Parking Bays, limited waiting 1 hour, no return 1 hour 8am-6pm
Length adjacent to Castle Mews Garage door - double yellow lines
Adjacent to Castle Mews - Parking Bays, limited waiting 1 hour, no
return 1 hour 8am-6pm
Corner of Castle Mews and Little Lane - double yellow lines

This proposal with other amendments in Beaumaris have been forwarded to
the Town Council for their comments. Following their response the
County Council will advertise this proposal in the local press and with
notices on site where the amendments are proposed. Any member of the
public may then make comments or objections to the proposals at this
time.

In view of the above I consider it reasonable not to install signs in
relation to the current single yellow line restrictions on Rating Row
only for them to be potentially taken down or amended a short time later
as a result of amendments. Should it not be possible to implement the
proposals along the lower section of Rating Row then the existing single
yellow line restrictions will be signed appropriately and enforced.

I do consider that the proposed parking restriction amendments along
the lower section of Rating Row will be to your benefit. The proposed
parking bays will formalise parking and clearly define where parking
will be allowed along this section of the street. The double yellow
lines adjacent to your garage door should emphasise that parking is
prohibited here at all times (rather than the current single yellow
line) and double yellow lines on the opposite side of the street should
ease exit and entry from the garage.

I would welcome any comments you may have regarding the above.

Yours sincerely,

Alun Roberts
Parking Manager
Environmental & Technical Services
Isle of Anglesey County Council

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From: ian banks

12 July 2010

Dear Mr Roberts,

Many thanks for your very prompt and detailed response.

I now understand the current situation and the logic of the
Council's future thinking, and so am happy with the new proposals -
particularly that there will be a new double yellow line placed in
front of my garage door, which I consider to be very important.

I imagine it is probably costly, but I would also suggest that the
Town Council might like to consider implementing some form of
future resident parking permit system - perhaps like the disc zone
parking schemes you see in some market towns.

Other than that suggestion above, and asking for more clarification
over your intended timescales for the implementation, I am now
happy with your responce and consider my query fully discharged.

Many thanks again.

Yours sincerely,

ian banks

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From: PEMOUT
Isle of Anglesey Council

15 July 2010

Dear Mr Banks,

Following your email dated 12 July 2010 I write to clarify the points
raised.

As previously noted, Beaumaris Town Council and the local County
Councillor have been issued with a map detailing the proposed amendments
to the existing parking restrictions. Once the Authority is in receipt
of their comments any necessary amendments can then be made to the
proposal and instructions issued to the Legal Section of the Council to
draw up a Traffic Regulation Order. This documents the proposed
parking amendments in detail by means of maps and written descriptions.
Notices are placed on site and in the local press to advertise the
proposal with a 21 day deadline for responses. If no objections are
received the Authority may then confirm the Traffic Regulation Order and
the parking amendments are implemented and become legally enforceable
once any necessary signs or road markings have been installed. The
process of creating or amending existing parking restrictions takes in
the region of 6 months to complete.

The issue of a residents parking scheme has also been raised by the
Town Council. It is the County Council who would implement and manage
such a scheme and Beaumaris has been identified as a location for a
residents parking scheme. The first stage of the process is to identify
specific areas where implementing a residents parking scheme would be
feasible and would resolve current parking issues. The Authority
proposes to commence the process of establishing residents parking
schemes in the near future.

Yours sincerely,

Alun Roberts
Parking Manager
Environmental & Technical Services
Isle of Anglesey County Council

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From: ian banks

15 July 2010

Dear Mr Roberts,

Once more, many thanks for your detailed response.

Delighted to hear of the residents parking scheme potential, and I
look forward to seeing things develop.

Yours sincerely,

ian banks

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