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Parking fines for Parsons Street traders – “the latest council cash cow”
21/06/2022
Deliveries outside of pedestrianisation hours has only become a problem in recent weeks
Traders in Parsons Street are accusing Oxfordshire County Council of “leeching” off struggling small businesses after a series of parking fines were issued to business owners who were making deliveries to their shops.
Whilst the street is pedestrianised between 10am and 4.30pm, traders have previously had no problems when using their vehicles for stock drop-offs and collections outside this time. But recently fines have been issued to people pulling up outside their businesses and staying more than a few minutes.
Many Parsons Street businesses do not have rear entrances for deliveries and rely on access via their shop front.
The issue started in the last few weeks and follows Oxfordshire County Council taking responsibility for civil parking enforcement late last year.
Unbeknown to most traders a rule is now being applied which says commercial vehicles may only park in the street for 10 minutes for a collection or delivery. For business owners who use their own cars the limit is shorter at just 5 minutes.
In the last couple of weeks at least five businesses have received £70 fines. If paid within a couple of weeks this amount is discounted to £35.
One business owner, Roger Dighton of Fellowship of the Needle tattoo parlour, has recently received a ticket. He said: “It’s the first time I’ve ever got a ticket in Parson’s Street. I’ve never even heard of this before and I’ve been in the street for eight or nine years.
“I think the Council have found a very good cash cow and they’re exploiting it and milking it at the cost of small businesses that are already struggling.
“The Council are now just leeching off us even more.”
Oxfordshire County Council has defended its enforcement action and says nothing has changed in the rules.
In a statement issued to Banbury FM they said: “There were no changes in parking restrictions when Oxfordshire County Council took over the role of parking enforcement from Thames Valley Police in November 2021. The only change was in who was carrying out the enforcement of the rules which were already in place.
“A number of roads in the centre of Banbury form part of a pedestrianised area, with loading permitted a certain times of the day to facilitate goods being delivered to local businesses. Officers carrying out enforcement will allow an observation period before issuing a penalty charge notice (PCN) to check that loading activities are taking place, and a right to appeal exists for motorists who feel a PCN has been issued unfairly.
“Our policies for enforcement are robust having been in place for number of years, but we continue to work with business groups in the area and remain open to feedback where users feel our enforcement policies need to be reviewed.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
Kim On 21/06/2022 at 2:59 pm
Absolutely disgusting Banbury town centre is very behind the likes of other local towns with shops and amenities places like Oxford Stratford are much more appealing banbury just seems to continually penalise local businesses all the time … look at ways to embrace your traders and new business to make this tired town more appealing