80,000 parking tickets handed out in Luton last year - with up to 600 a month from resident tip-offs

A draft parking strategy 2024 to 2030 is set to replace Luton’s current parking and enforcement plan, adopted in 2013.

A full council motion asked the local authority’s executive “to commission a comprehensive and strategic review of parking issues and their potential solution across the borough, and to allocate enough resources for a swift analysis”.

The aim of the strategy is to provide appropriate parking facilities, which support the economic, environmental and accessibility needs of the town, according to a report to LBC’s overview and scrutiny board.

It forms the council’s policy framework for the effective and efficient management of on-street and off-street parking, said the report.

LBC’s strategic policy adviser Keith Dove referred to the summer public consultation, saying: “We received 119 responses, although not everyone answered all the questions.

“The questionnaire was asking about the number of cars people owned and where they park.”

Just over one in five local car journeys is within a two-mile distance and nearly two in five trips are between two and five miles, the consultation showed.

Liberal Democrat Stopsley councillor Nigel Marshall described the 119 replies as “an incredibly low response rate for a town of 231,000 people”, warning: “I’m concerned the strategy is being based not even on full answers. We need a higher level of response to make decisions based on that.”

Mr Dove acknowledged it was a low rate, adding: “There were some extra polls arranged online, a month into the consultation.”

Labour Saints councillor Ghulam Abbas described the outcome as “disappointing”, and suggested further consultation once the six-year strategy is in place.

“It doesn’t mention when you’ll review it,” he explained. “That needs a time frame. The crux of the matter is car ownership is rising and households are increasing.

“I’m surprised at the low consultation given the number of complaints I receive about parking, particularly on pavements and double yellow lines. The chief executive and highways portfolio holder have written to the Transport Minister asking for more powers to enforce these.”

Liberal Democrat Barnfield councillor David Franks said: “Enforcement locally isn’t inadequate, it’s ineffective. It doesn’t work and it’s absolutely hopeless.

“As a result, people completely ignore parking restrictions. They can get away with it and know they can. There aren’t enough enforcement officers. This isn’t a comprehensive plan, mainly because the consultation attracted hardly any responses.”

LBC’s head of neighbourhood delivery Tony Stefano replied: “I don’t accept enforcement is useless. We issued 80,000 parking tickets last year in Luton for all offences.

“That’s the most we’ve ever issued across the borough. The team of officers works incredibly hard challenging drivers who breach parking regulations.

“We respond to 300 to 400 requests a month for enforcement from residents, who contact us every day. That leads to between 500 and 600 parking tickets a month just on those calls.”

Councillors agreed by seven votes to five to recommend that the executive formally adopts the strategy, accompanied by comments from the board chairman around their concerns.