Council Parking Wardens Accused of 'Hounding' Local High Street Shops

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 16th Jun 2003

MP Vincent Cable has taken up with the council what he calls "excessive zeal" by council parking wardens who are "making life impossible" for local shops by pouncing on shop owners (or their customers) making emergency deliveries and collections - cash for example - and exercising absolutely no discretion.

One business woman in Whitton stopped for under two minutes shortly before pre-9.30am restrictions were lifted, to make a necessary collection of wet towels from a laundry. She posted staff outside to explain the position to any passing warden. But one pounced immediately and threw a ticket at the windscreen when the vehicle owner left.

Vincent Cable said: "I get dozens of letters and calls from irate "

"residents furious about the draconian and inflexible approach of wardens".

"Of course the law must be upheld. And breaches of the parking rules have to be applied in a consistent way. But the wardens often show a complete absence of flexibility and common sense and seem to feel that their job is to maximise the number of tickets".

"The present council claimed to be particularly concerned with the welfare of local high streets like Whitton which are in fierce competition with superstores who can offer free parking. It has used a lot of money on a complex scheme to subsidise the first 30 minutes parking. But what shop keepers are much more concerned with is more intelligent and sympathetic "

"behaviour by wardens when there are mitigating circumstances".