Lincoln to retain parking patrols after warden axe

Dedicated parking enforcement will continue in Lincoln after the city council reached a deal with police.

Earlier this year the force confirmed it was making its parking wardens redundant from April to save money.

Lincolnshire County Council said it would take over the role but organising this would take at least a year.

Now the city council has said it will pay the police £48,000 to enforce resident and business parking schemes until the new system is set up.

'No free-for-all'

Responsibility for parking enforcement has already been handed to local councils in many parts of England but Lincolnshire police had not managed to get an agreement to do this.

In January it said all six warden posts would be scrapped, prompting the county council to start planning to take on the role.

Senior officers denied the gap in cover would create a parking free-for-all as officers and PCSOs could still issue tickets for any breaches of the law, such as parking on yellow lines.

But the city council has decided its specific parking schemes, which account for more than 60% of tickets in the county, needed dedicated enforcement.

Councillor Marc Jones, the council's deputy leader, said he felt a lack of enforcement would be problematic.

Budget cuts

He said: "I think it would be very disappointing, not only for the residents who need somewhere to park outside their homes, but also for businesses and commuters.

"It would not be a good situation and I am very glad that this is not going to be the case.

"It is right residents expect a robust response to people preventing them parking outside their homes."

Police said specific details of how the system would work had not been finalised.

The force is looking to cut £20m from its budget in the next four years due to falling grants from government.