Questions and Answers

1. What does Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) mean?
The Traffic Management Act 2004 permits Highways Authorities to apply to the Secretary of State to become a Special Enforcement Area (SEA). Once the SEA application is approved, the power to enforce parking, loading and waiting restrictions, passes from the police to the Highway Authority. Parking offences are no longer classified as a criminal offence. The Highway Authority (Hampshire County Council) has authorised East Hampshire District Council to undertake the enforcement on its behalf.

2. Why work with Havant Borough Council?
The shared parking enforcement service should see both councils make savings or avoid costs adding up to more than £40,000 a year.
A shared service will also produce significant savings in set up costs, largely due to HBC having the necessary IT systems and operational procedures in place already. 
Parking enforcement in East Hampshire is currently carried out by police, whereas Havant Borough Council has had parking enforcement powers since 2005. 

3. Why have CPE?
As a result of constraints on police budgets, Hampshire Constabulary stated that its primary concern is crime and criminal investigations, and that lesser attention is given to parking enforcement. All income from Police-issued parking fines passes to central government, rather than back to the Police. Under CPE, the County Council retains the income from fines and is used to fund the enforcement programme, with any surplus being used to help fund local transport initiatives.

4. Who is policing this - EHDC or a private company? 
A partnership between East Hampshire District Council and Havant Borough Council (as Hampshire County Council's Agent) undertakes parking enforcement and employs staff directly to do this.

5. Where can I park?
There are several Council run "Pay and Display" Car Parks throughout the district which will continue to operate as previously. On-street parking will still be available in existing locations - no new restrictions will be introduced specifically for the advent of CPE. However, single and double yellow lines, and permitted spaces throughout the district, will be patrolled more effectively than before, so where abuse of restrictions occurs the increased enforcement regime will see this stopped. Privately run car parks, including those belonging to large supermarkets, are also available in many areas and will be exempt from the CPE arrangements. 

 

Parksafe Website 

EHDC Car Park Survey

Car Park Survey - Business Community