Civil Enforcement Areas

These areas are designated by Parliament. In a Civil Enforcement Areas (CEA) a breach of Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) is no longer a criminal offence, instead it is the responsibility of the County Council to see that enforcement of on-street parking takes place.

The minimum area for a new CEA, now acceptable to government, is a whole district.
In Buckinghamshire we require that:

• CEA are kept as simple as possible
• CEA are introduced based on existing waiting/loading restriction TROs
• New measures eg residents parking, on street pay and display are introduced as the need emerges
• CEAs are enforced firmly but fairly to achieve compliance with the TROs
• Contrary to myth, decriminalised enforcement works

The main aim of the council run parking enforcement is to improve compliance with the regulations, which in turn leads to:

• Improved community safety in casualty and crime terms
• Improved transport flow
• Improved access to parking facilities for shoppers/business customers and residents

Civil Enforcement Areas must be self-financing and no taxpayers’ money is used to fund the schemes and the enforcement.  As a result of this, any income received funds the management of the scheme and any surplus is used to improve the local highway network. This income arrives from various sources, such as pay and display charges, residents permit/visitors voucher costs and Penalty Charge Notices.

Problems with parking management

Increasing car ownership throughout the county is leading to more car based travel resulting in parking occurring where it:

• Is unsafe
• Causes congestion
• Is a nuisance

Key elements of parking management

• Permit or provide parking where it creates no problems
• Prohibit parking where it causes problems (ie congestion or a danger to all road users)
• A transport strategy delivering choice results in less need to travel by car reducing pressure on parking which can then be better managed
• Informing people of the options:
  -   where they can park
  -   what other means of travel they could use instead of a car
• Long term strategic and local development control strategies governing the supply of parking spaces will assist in regulating parking

Ways to achieve compliance with TRO s

By voluntary agreement – education/information

• By financial inducement – making it cheaper or free to park in less pressured areas
• By enforcement

Community benefits from improved enforcement delivery

• Greater road safety
• Less congestion, improved journey times
• Parking is a scarce resource that can be more efficiently used if managed
• Making the most of parking facilities can assist the local economy
• Community safety can be improved by the regular street presence provided by parking attendants and space turnover
• Local residents can be less adversely affected by other peoples’ parked cars

Benefits from decriminalisation

• Compliance with TROs is achieved without reliance on the police for enforcement
• Safety, congestion and nuisance issues all benefit from this process
• To ensure parking needs are more reasonably met
• Enforcement and management of scheme is self-financing
• The ability to use financial surpluses from any area, once operating costs in that area are covered, across the whole county

Additional potential benefit for our customers

• New facilities can be considered to benefit individuals
• A common customer interface is possible where all parking problems within a District can be addressed
• Parking management for special events is easier

The benefit from joint county\district council working

• Both councils can achieve community gains from coordinated working.
• An open partnership is possible covering all aspects of how parking provision, operation management is developed
• Better customer service is achieved