The campaign to de-criminalise parking has been long running but is now being spread out to the borough by the various NAGs.

At a meeting last Wednesday, January 14, Ken Rowlands, Wokingham Town and Evendons NAG chairman, said: “We were having complaints from residents of our NAG area. Residents had obtained a parking permit for their vehicles but when they happened to go out people who worked for companies would come in and take the space.” Previously Thames Valley Police were responsible for parking enforcement across the entire borough. Around 10 per cent of the country still has parking enforced by the police but some people are arguing that the borough council should take responsibility with a civil parking enforcement (CPE) scheme.

Malcolm Richards, executive deputy executive member for planning and highways said: “Under CPE the police no longer issue tickets, it’s done by the local authority.

“There are 1,700 roads in the area and we don’t know how the cost will be distributed between different areas.” It’s thought that implementing CPE will cost around four pounds per dwelling in the borough.

At the minute all fines collected by the police are paid to central government, If parking is decriminalised then fines would be paid to Wokingham Borough Council and the money would stay in the region.

Despite this an assessment of revenue in 2013 found that decriminalised parking was unlikely to be self-sustaining and will not be a source of revenue.

A team of around three wardens would have to issue around 110 fines a week to break even. The costs will include training, uniforms and new equipment.

Not everyone at the meeting was convinced that CPE was the best way to monitor parking the borough. Some were concerned that the parking wardens won’t respond as quickly as the police to calls.

Even if the borough council vote for the parking changes as soon as possible it won’t be in place until 2016.

If you want to find out more about CPE then there are meetings to explain the process on January 28. Contact Cllr Richards for attendance information.