MOTORISTS leaving their vehicles on double yellow lines have been told to expect a fine after enforcement officers vowed to stop the issue which has blighted shopping areas in out-of-town locations.
Two Kingdom Security officers employed by the North East Area Council patrol hotspots given to them by residents and councillors as part of a rolling contract.
A ‘zero tolerance’ approach to deal with people who drop litter, fail to pick up after their dogs and those who park illegally has been taken in recent months since councillors opted to retain the £70,000-per-year deal, which first came into force in the area in 2014 and could run until 2021 if officers continue to deliver results.
According to their latest progress report, more than 100 litterbugs were fined in the Cudworth, Monk Bretton, North East and Royston wards during the last quarter - although 87 motorists were handed penalties after councillors urged them to pay more attention to dealing with the long-running issues in centres such as Cudworth and Royston.
Figures show a rise in parking-related offences were dealt with in Cudworth, mainly on Robert Street, Carlton Street and Bank Street, where councillors and nearby businesses on neighbouring Barnsley Road have complained about motorists leaving their vehicles on double yellow lines.
A progress report, compiled by Kingdom, said: “The latest figures, which include July to September, equates to 886 hours of patrols and show 116 fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) were issued in the area. Eighty-seven motorists were also given penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking.
“Officers concentrated their patrols around intelligence-led information from the tasking process and also from complaints on the street who represent the community at large.
“As we progressed through this quarter, reports and complaints continued are were of a consistent good quality. We have been met with an increase in specific witness information, such as offenders throwing litter from vehicles.
“The revenue raised from FPNs for littering and dog fouling for the quarter is £6,795.”
Research gathered by Kingdom shows that 70 to 75 per cent of the revenue will be raised in the North East ward area alone, which covers Brierley, Grimethorpe and Shafton.
Operations during the quarter relating to littering and dog fouling concentrated on Rabbit Ings and Midland Road in Royston, as well as Highgate Way, High Street and Plumpton Park, all Shafton.
“Parking operations will continue in Cudworth now that we have increased staff members trained in dealing with parking offences,” the report added. “The fruits of this labour continue to have an effect as 54 PCNs have been issued in this area and we will continue to monitor the situation.”
The current rolling contract, which is reviewed each year, will renew in March and will continue to include two enforcement officers who both work 37-hour weeks after councillors in each ward gave the nod to extend the deal late last year.
Although £70,000 is needed per year to retain the officers, about 50 per cent of that cost is clawed back through fines per year, and four out of six Barnsley area councils currently commission the added service which works alongside Barnsley Council’s own in-house officers.
A North East Area Council spokesperson said: “An enhanced enforcement service is seen as vital to prevent environmental problems from escalating and to ensure that the positive work undertaken to maintain the environment is not undone by an antisocial minority.
“Public feedback consistently identifies environmental blight through littering, dog fouling and illegal parking as a significant cause of local concern and highlights where the people who live and work in the area want to see action being taken.
“More robust enforcement will help area councils isolate the small minority that disrespect their local environment and fellow residents and take action against them to change the way they behave, as well as making them contribute costs of improving the environment in which we live.”
