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County Councillor agrees to meet representatives of traders hit with parking tickets
13/07/2022
The Highways Management lead says he can’t commit to refunding any wrongly issued tickets
The Councillor in charge of Highways Management in Oxfordshire has agreed to meet representatives of local Banbury town centre traders who have been receiving parking tickets when making collections or deliveries to their businesses. Councillor Andrew Gant accepted an invitation to a meeting when challenged by Banbury Councillor Keiron Mallon at yesterday’s full County Council meeting.
However, he said he couldn’t commit to refunding any tickets which had been issued incorrectly.
Councillor Mallon challenged Councillor Gant to meet with him and members of the Banbury BID, who represent the town centre traders.
Last month we told you that a series of parking fines had been issued to business owners who were making deliveries to their shops in Parson’s Street. 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.
Recently fines have been issued to people pulling up outside their businesses and staying more than a few minutes. The issue appears to have started after the County Council took responsibility for civil parking enforcement late last year.
Councillor Mallon told the meeting that the rules were the same now as they were before the County Council had been in charge, but were now being implemented differently. He said: “No amendments have been asked for but the correct implementation of the existing TROs [traffic regulation orders] that worked for over ten years until Oxfordshire County Council put their parking people on the streets.
“So will the Cabinet Member agree to meet with me and the Banbury Improvement District … to hear their complaints, questions and comments? And will he agree that if tickets have been implemented to those businesses incorrectly they will be reimbursed?”
Councillor Gant replied: “Would I agree to meet you? Yes happy to do that. Can I agree to reimburse parking tickets? I think that’s outside my remit.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam