Annual Parking Report 2018 to 2019

This Annual Car Parking report summarises the parking and traffic enforcement conducted by the Council during the financial year 2018 to 2019. The Council continues to operate parking enforcement under the Traffic Management Act 2004, ensuring parking services operates to support businesses, shoppers, residents and visitors to the Borough in an efficient and cost effective manner and financial information is detailed in chapter 6.

Parking facilities are vital for people coming to Stockton to work, study, visit and support economic growth. Parking controls assist to minimise congestion, and ensure free-flowing traffic conditions, encouraging people to visit Stockton more regularly whilst balancing the needs of businesses, residents, visitors and blue badge holders. 

The visible presence of Civic Enforcement Officers (CEO's) is the primary means of achieving compliance with parking regulations. This report provides an overview of what, why and how parking services are undertaken in Stockton.

If you have any questions or comments about the Annual Report or the Car Parking service in general please let us know by contacting the helpline on 01642 528203 or email us at carparking@stockton.gov.uk or visit the car parking pages.

Councillor Mike Smith

Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport

Stockton-on-Tees is a Unitary Authority with a population of approximately 192,000. Within the Borough of Stockton there are 6 town centres; Stockton, Billingham, Thornaby, Yarm, Norton and Ingleby Barwick.

Stockton town centre is located on the north bank of the river Tees. At the heart of the High Street (which is one of the widest in the UK) is the Town Hall, which dates from 1735. The High Street also incorporates an outdoor market which has been in existence since the 1300s and is held every Wednesday and Saturday. Stockton High Street is historically known for being the first area to operate a railway system and it is something which we take great pride in. We have a feature within the town centre which shows our passion for this known as the Automaton. View how the automaton works.

The automaton attracts visitors every day to watch the way the engine appears from inside of a plinth and produce steam and sound effects which can be heard throughout the Town Centre.

Billingham town centre, located in the north of the Borough provides the town with national retail chains, including the oldest continuously trading Asda supermarket in the UK. The town centre public realm has been transformed with a multi-million pound facelift. It is home to one of the biggest leisure centres in the North East, The Forum. It provides facilities for swimming, ice skating, gymnasium, indoor activities as well as a Theatre attached to it.

West of the Town brings in the historically known industry and forms part of the expanding Seal Sands which separates Stockton from Hartlepool.

Thornaby town centre was transformed with the pavilion shopping centre, providing extensive range of national and local retailers, restaurants and leisure centres. Similar to The Forum in Billingham, the Pavilion is the sister building which offers similar activities, all of which can be used with the same membership, ACTIV8.

Yarm town centre is located in the south of the Borough close to the border of North Yorkshire. Yarm is seen to be one of the most affluent areas of Stockton. The High Street is bordered by two rivers with many Georgian style buildings fronting onto the cobbled parking area providing a mix of shops and restaurants. Yarm is an attraction for people across the North East due to its vibrant and quirky coffee shops. Free parking is offered for the first hour in Yarm which was favoured to be enough time to enjoy the benefits of Yarm.

Stockton-on-Tees prides itself on its event culture and continues to deliver an action packed calendar which takes part across the Borough throughout the year. This includes one of Europe's largest free open air festivals, the Stockton International Riverside Festival (SIRF), the biggest and most attended fire work display which attracts up to 40,000 spectators and the ever increasingly popular British Cycling Festival.

View our video which demonstrates the type of events we hold;

In the coming year, we will see the introduction of some very exciting developments. In February 2019, we saw the opening of the Hampton by Hilton Hotel which overlooks the Northshore Riverside giving you views of the Tees from your room with just a stone throw away from the High Street.

In addition to this, we will see the grand opening of the historic building, The Globe Theatre. This is a very interesting building first opened in the 1930's. We are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to restore this beautiful building where we have been able to retain a large part of its historic structure.

Parking Enforcement is carried out by Civic Enforcement Officers working within the council. In total, we have 24 officers who are able to serve penalty charge notices, all of which have attended and passed the WAMITAB Level 2 Award for Parking Enforcement Officers. As well as Parking Enforcement, the officers are responsible for policing anti-social behaviour, criminal traffic offences contrary to Road Traffic Act and the Traffic management Act 2004 and environmental crime.

Officers have the powers to be able to take action against those who are parking in contravention, such as double yellow line parking, and they can also take action against vehicles which are parking in a dangerous or obstructive manner or those which are considered to be abandoned contrary to the Highways Act 1980.

In order to make an informed judgement before implementing any scheme or contraventions, we may choose to complete a survey of the particular area to make an assessment. Surveys can include car parking surveys, speed surveys, pedestrian surveys or turning count surveys. This allows officers to assess the level of problem at hand to make the appropriate decision.

Electric vehicles are rapidly increasing on a yearly basis and it is important that we have the appropriate infrastructure in place to facilitate this growing demand.

Stockton are fortunate to offer a number of electric charge points ranging from the standard 3kw to the rapid 50kw chargers which can provide a full charge within 30 minutes. Currently, Stockton Council do not charge for the power however drivers must display a pay and display ticket and there is a one hour maximum stay at the Bishop Street rapid charger. Over the course of the forthcoming year, we will be working with the Tees Valley Combined Authority to look at upgrading our established stock and increasing the number of charge points across the Tees Valley which will allow visitors to have no fear of running out of charge.

Car parking locations and spaces available can be found on our find a car park in Stockton webpage.

All pay and display car parks in Stockton have the option of paying by RingGo. This is a cashless method of paying for parking via a mobile phone; it does incur a minimal additional charge. Visit RingGo website for details. 

Stockton Council has a legal obligation to prevent the use of its car parks for sleeping, camping or cooking. Facilities for this are available at the privately operated White Water Caravan Club and Drovers Way Holiday Caravan Park. 

Stockton Town Centre

There are currently 19 off-street car parks and 14 on-street car parking places in Stockton Town Centre which are all pay and display. Overall there are 1215 parking spaces to be managed (1017 off-street and 198 on-street).

The current tariffs are aimed to encourage short-stay parking within the town centre. Maximum length of stay restrictions are generally structured to promote short-stay parking, and frequent turnover of spaces within the town centre. Long stay car parking is located on the periphery of the town centre utilised predominantly by commuters.

As part of the current regeneration for the town centre and change in demand for more conveniently located parking on-street parking on the High Street has been re-introduced. There are also limited waiting bays located around the town centre that provide 2 hours free parking they can be found in Dovecot Street and Skinner Street areas, Lawson Street, Farrer Street and Riverside.

Within Stockton Town Centre there are also 2 public multi-storey car parks and a further 3 car parks available to commuters and visitors to Stockton that are managed by other organisations. 

Billingham Town Centre

There are six off-street car parks in Billingham town centre all of which are free to park with unlimited duration of stay. Four of the six off-street car parks are managed by another operator. The two off-street car parks managed by the Council are The Forum and Community Centre car parks.

Thornaby Town Centre

Parking in Thornaby town centre is privately managed all of which is free to park with 3 hours at the Pavilion Car Park and 2 hours at Asda supermarket. Some limited on street parking is also available in the vicinity of the Health Centre.

Yarm Town Centre

Yarm is an historic market town, the High Street is a Principal road, the A67, and is of high importance for traffic movement. The cobbles of Yarm High Street are public highway providing 306 on street short stay spaces. The parking charges cover the entire cobbled area of the High Street, with the first 60 minutes free, £1 for 3 hours (maximum stay) and no return for 3 hours in operation.

In addition, there are 3 Council owned, off street car parks at Castle Dyke Wynd (23 spaces) Yarm Wharf (38 spaces) and The Old Market (16 spaces) that are all predominantly used for long stay parking.

Residents Permit Parking Zones (RPZs)

Currently within the Borough there are six operational RPZ's, which are located within Stockton West area, Hardwick Estate area, Trinity Gardens area, Eaglescliffe Station area, Yarm High Street and West Street area.

The Council introduces RPZs where there is evidence of residents having difficulty parking in close proximity to their homes due to the use of areas for prolonged non-resident parking particularly where there is alternative parking provision.

Residents within each zone are entitled to apply for a residents permit in line with the guidance. In addition, residents can also request to purchase a visitor permit if necessary.

The permits allow residents or visitors to park within the specified zone during the hours of operation. Currently there is an annual charge of £10 per resident or visitor permit this contributes towards the cost of administering and enforcing the scheme.

In 2018 to 2019 a total of 912 permits were issued across the zones.

Further information about the council's residents parking schemes can be found at on our resident parking schemes page.

Season Tickets

Season Tickets are available for purchase which allows parking in the Council's long stay car parks both on and off-street Monday to Saturday in Stockton town centre and Yarm. These permits are of particular benefit to those who regularly use the town's car parks, such as commuters, and can be purchased in advance at a cheaper rate than paying on a daily basis. In 2018 to 2019 a total of 51 were purchased. Visit our season ticket page for more information.

Market Permits

Stockton Town Centre is home to the region's largest outdoor Market. In addition, throughout various times of the year there are specialist markets, as well as the 'Stockton Sparkles' Christmas market.

Over the years there has been demand for easy access for market traders to unload their goods and the facility to be able to park close to their stalls has increased.  Market Trader permits are available for traders registered with Stockton Borough Council to park in specially designated areas on market days which allows for easy transport of their goods.

Staff Parking Permits

Staff parking permits for employees of Stockton Council is available to be purchased via a salary sacrifice scheme. In 2018 to 2019 956 were issued.

The Blue Badge Scheme is a national scheme that operates for those registered as disabled to access goods and services, by allowing them to park in close proximity to their destination.

The blue badge permit is available to eligible disabled people irrespective of whether they are travelling as a driver or a passenger.

In 2018 to 2019, 4,950 blue badges were issued. The majority of badges are valid for 3 years.

How the Blue Badge scheme is enforced 

The Disabled Persons Parking Badges Act 2013 gave powers to Civil Enforcement Officers employed by the council to inspect and retain a disabled badge if they have reasonable grounds to believe that the badge:

• is counterfeit
• has already been cancelled or reported lost or stolen
• should have been returned to the issuing authority because it had expired
• was being misused (including by someone other than the holder when the genuine holder is not involved in the journey

Civic Enforcement Officers (CEO's) are actively encouraged to act in an ambassadorial role assisting motorists to find alternative parking opportunities where an opportunity to speak with and seek the cooperation of motorists exist. Officers are encouraged to provide help and assistance including directions to encourage visitors and support local residents and business. However, in certain circumstances the controls in place make inappropriate parking an instant contravention such as school entrances and disabled parking areas to ensure that public safety is maintained.

CEO's have powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN's) for contravention of yellow line parking, loading restrictions, on and off street parking offences, and certain instances of parking across dropped crossings. 

Enforcement is evidence led to ensure that it assists the delivery of the Council's wider transport objectives. Streets receiving the highest number of visits are those where contraventions have the greatest impact on road safety, and severely affect free-flowing traffic conditions and motorists are most likely to require assistance to find parking opportunities and avoid potential penalties. Another key role is maximising road safety, and reducing congestion outside schools. 

Enforcement also has additional powers to issue removal notices. There are two principal types of removal notice, these being the 'immediate removal' and the '24-hour removal' which are specifically dependant on the seriousness of the danger or obstruction. There are less commonly used 7 day removal notices for vehicles constituting more of a nuisance opposed to danger or obstruction and a 15 day notice used to serve on landlords in cases of abandonment linked to non public land.

Bus lane enforcement

The aim of bus lanes is to give priority to buses and in most cases pedal cycles during the prescribed hours of operation. Bus lane enforcement is part of a wide range of measures to improve the reliability and punctuality of public transport, in addition to reducing congestion and harmful emissions. Keeping bus lanes free from other traffic reduces delays and ensures buses move swiftly throughout the Borough. 

There are four bus lanes controlled by camera enforcement, these are at the following locations:

• Stockton High Street
• Norton Road
• Westbury Street
• Mandale Road

The purpose of a Penalty Charge Notice is to encourage compliance with parking restrictions. The issue of a Penalty Charge Notice should act as a deterrent and hopefully through time re-educate drivers to ensure parking regulations are adhered to. Civic Enforcement Officers will only issue a Penalty Charge Notice where they are convinced from the evidence they have before them that a contravention has occurred. 

Advice is provided on what can be done should a member of the public have been issued with a ticket. In most cases (except manual tickets), evidence can be viewed on-line, and for all cases an informal challenge can be made or the Penalty Charge Notice can simply be paid if there is agreement that the notice has been given fairly. In brief there are three parts to the general appeal's process, which are the informal challenge, formal representation and appeal to the Independent Traffic Penalty Tribunal (TPT) if the representation is unsuccessful. 

Firstly, in the appeals process an informal challenge can be made to the Car Parking Office within 14 days of the ticket being issued and at this point the Penalty Charge Notice will be held at the discounted rate. If this challenge is unsuccessful the next stage of the process is to make Formal Representations to the Council on one of statutory grounds, which are:

• the alleged contravention did not occur
• the penalty exceeded the amount applicable in the circumstances of the case
• there has been a procedural impropriety by the council. The order which is alleged to have been contravened in relation to the vehicle concerned is invalid
• the PCN was served by post because the council say the Civic Enforcement Officer was prevented by some person from fixing the Penalty Charge Notice to the vehicle or handing it to the person in charge of the vehicle, but this did not happen
• that the recipient was never the owner of the vehicle in question; or had ceased to be its owner before the date on which the alleged contravention occurred, or became the owner after the date on which the alleged contravention occurred
• that the vehicle has been permitted to remain at rest in the place in question by a person who was in control of the vehicle without the consent of the owner
• the recipient is a vehicle hire firm and the vehicle was on hire under a qualifying hiring agreement and the hirer had signed the statement acknowledging liability for any Penalty Charge Notice issued during the hire period
• that the Notice to Owner (NtO) should not have been served because the penalty charge had already been paid in full or by the amount reduced by any discount set within the period set

Should a formal representation to the Council be unsuccessful then an Individual can appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal who are independent from both the Local Authority and the appellant. An Adjudicator considers all aspects of a case and reviews relevant evidence and makes a decision that is both binding and final to all parties.

The Council is committed to give a fair, transparent and consistent approach to dealing with correspondence at all times throughout the appeals process.

The aim of the Council is to respond to all informal challenges within 14 days, and formal representations within the required 56 days timeframe. For further information on parking policy and enforcement visit our pay a parking fine webpage or the Patrol website.

Parking Penalty Charge Notices - reasons for cancellation 2018 to 2019

The table shows the reasons for cancellation of a Penalty Charge Notice following receipt of either an informal challenge or representation. Grounds for challenges and representations can be found in our Parking Enforcement Policy.

Total number of cancelled Penalty Charge Notices is 766.

There are two levels of charge for parking contraventions. The more serious contraventions such as parking on waiting restrictions are now charged at the higher level of £70 (£35 if paid within 14 days of issue). Less serious contraventions such as overstaying in an off street car park are charged at the lower level of £50 (£25 if paid within 14 days of issue). The table below shows each of those contraventions and how many have been issued during April 2018 to March 2019.

The Council's current collection rate is 63%. 873 of Penalty Charge Notice (PCN's) were cancelled; therefore around 12% are still being processed at the time of this report.

Penalty Charge Notices 2018 to 2019

Higher level on street

Total number of contraventions issued for higher level on street is 1339.

Lower level on street

Total number of contraventions issued for lower level on street is 1347.

Higher level off street

Total number of contraventions issued for higher level off street is 158.

Lower level off street

Total number of contraventions issued for lower level off street is 1101.

Total number of Penalty Charge Notice's in 2018 to 2019 is 3945.

The total number of Penalty Charge Notice''s issued is 3945.

Income from on-street parking charges and on and off-street penalty charge notices must be used to meet the cost of the provision and maintenance by the local authority of on and off-street parking accommodation in their area under the Traffic Management Act 2004.

In line with best practice, the Council has operated the parking service including income from off-street charging car parks in Stockton Town Centre on a self financing basis with a slight operating surplus to contribute to the cost of parking improvements and support for non-commercial bus services. The figures below show the income and expenditure to the Parking account for 2018 to 2019.  

Income

Income sum = -£767,124

Expenditure

Expenditure sum = £422,166

Grand total income and expenditure = -£344,958

Use of surpluses

The net surplus in the parking account in 2018 to 2019 was £344,958 and contributes towards.

Repairs and maintenance in Yarm.

Internal upgrades on the machines.

Energy Reduction Programme - replacing car parking street lights with LED's.