In the past 12 months 2,046 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued in Alderley Edge, generating £64,063.
Taking a closer look at the figures, which I obtained via a Freedom of Information Request (FOI), the introduction of resident parking schemes has had a significant impact on the issuing of PCNs in the village.
In November 2012 residents parking schemes were introduced on Clifton Street, Carlisle Street, Lydiat Lane, Thurston Green, Beech Cottages and Netherfields to stop all day parking and help residents park close to their homes.
From November 2012 to the end of July 2013, 28.7% more PCNs were issued compared to the previous 9-month period.
45% of all tickets issued in Alderley Edge since November 2012 have been issued on the six streets where the new parking restrictions were introduced and nearly 35% of all tickets issued in Alderley Edge in the past seven months have been on Clifton Street.
A total of 1404 tickets were issued in the village from the beginning of November 2012 to the end of July 2013, of these 633 were issued in the six streets mentioned above where the new residents parking schemes were introduced. During this 9-month period 484 were issued on Clifton Street.
The value of the PCNs issued on Clifton Street, Carlisle Street, Lydiat Lane, Thurston Green, Beech Cottages and Netherfields since the introduction of residents parking schemes 9 months ago is £21,777, of this Clifton Street alone accounts for £17,122 (69%).
A couple of weeks ago I was contacted by an elderly gentleman from Bramhall who last visited Alderley Edge in early July with his wife, having done so every few weeks for decades.
Sid Davies told me "We usually buy cakes and pies from Wienholts and odds and ends from other shops. My wife has patronised clothes shops there over the years.
"We parked in Clifton Street, where we always parked, on the first spot past the loading bay as the first spaces were taken. We saw the parking attendant placing a ticket on a car about 10 or 15 yards further up Clifton Street and assumed someone had overstayed the parking period.
"After visiting the shop we returned about 10 minutes later to find a ticket on our windscreen. We have parked on Clifton Street every few weeks for 40 years but now found the area beyond Tesco's loading bay is now a residents only parking area.
"We tackled the attendant who said we could appeal against the fine which I duly did."
The tribunal found in favour of Mr Davies and said he would not be liable for the fine which was originally £30 but had been increased to £105 for late payment.
Mr Davies added "My car is quite distinctive, being a 4 wheel drive tall vehicle, gold coloured with roof bars. The attendant who seems to spend a lot of time in Clifton Street would know I was not a resident and should, in my opinion, have told me of the changed rules.
"I came to feel this incident bordered on entrapment and further enquiries strengthened my belief that Alderley provides Cheshire East Council with a substantial sum of money in parking fines and residents' parking fees.
"I would urge Alderley traders to object strongly to their potential customers being hounded in this way. We shall cross Alderley Edge off our list of places to visit and I suspect many others will too!"
In analysing the figures I obtained from my FOI request I recognise I should have obtained a breakdown by street for the nine month period prior to the introduction of residents parking schemes, I have requested this but given it takes 20 working days (usually) to receive a response to an FOI I will update this article, or publish a follow up once I receive this data.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
I've just walked past Carlisle St and Lydiat Lane and, as is always the case during the day, over half the parking spaces are empty. And where there are cars, the residents are seemingly so awash with spaces now they like to leave a good 2 meters between each parked car.
In the meantime chaos prevails on the likes of South St. as people trying to come and spend money in the village drive round and round in circles looking for the miracle known as a free parking space. The RPS has done nothing but left spaces free in parts of the village and compressed the issue on to the streets without RPS.
Why can't the Council work a system whereby if you have a Resident's Permit you can park indefinitely, where as non permit holders are subject to a 2 hour limit? It doesn't solve the problem of day workers, who are also valuable to the local economy, but would certainly help with passing trade.
Not sure what the answer is as the residents need somewhere to park their cars but on the other hand they have bought the house, not a right to park outside on the main road. The houses don't come with an automatic parking space. Workers and shoppers need to be given some thought as well.
It's a difficult one.
Residents with Permits may stay there all day, whereas non-Permit Holders (visitors) to the streets in question are allowed 2 hours maximum ........... Simples !
This evening I have arrived home around 9.30. There are no free spaces on Carlisle Street where I live and indeed two cars are on the double yellow lines - no doubt on an overnight basis. I have had to park some distance from home and carry all the shopping, kiddy crap and control child and dog some distance. Before the residents' parking scheme this was the norm - now its an irritating rarity.
Of course there are spare spaces in the day - we need to have space so that we can park when we get home - many of us work irregular hours and can return home at any time of the day - so for a scheme to work - there has to be a percentage of under use.
And there's more ... When we started campaigning for residents' parking - we proposed a mixed scheme which had both residents only and 2 hour bays. This plan was submitted by - Mike Taylorson and others to the Parish Council as a suggested way forwards, but when we had a public meeting on the subject the Chairman of the PC admitted that he had not read the document.
And there's more.... Here in Carlisle Street, I previously took the view that so long as everyone parked neatly then it was a case of live and let live - we all have to rub along together - but seeing the inability of local workers to use only one parking space and to minimise the space they required drove me to distraction. People were asked to park a bit closer to the next car or to not leave a huge gap between their car and the start of the double yellow lines. These people looked at us like we were mad - or - unreasonable. We just wanted to keep it all working. But faced with continual idiocy and complete resistance from the PC, we went along with the scheme proposed by Cheshire East - and that is the one we have now.
And personally - I love it......
Though perhaps the 'dog's dinner' scheme that C.E. actually came up with has not garnered universal approval?
Had the PC had their way - we would no doubt still be waiting for a scheme whereas we have enjoyed the advantages of a scheme for nearly a year now.
The fact that you think it's a dogs dinner shows that the PC had zero effect - something that is pretty usual in this village.
My indignation about Mr Davies is all the stronger as I have been fined (no waiver allowed) for parking in a disabled space, although I clearly displayed my "Volunteer Driver - disabled passengers" badge - unfortunately it was yellow, not blue.
I shan't be so foolish as to comment on the iniquities of drivers of four-wheel drive tanks who seem to think that they have a right to twice as much space both on the road and in parking areas as other people, nor on the tastelessness of the colour gold for a supposedly functional vehicle.
So the P.C. has no effect in the village? Been in the park in the last couple of years? Been near the cemetery in the last year? Did you put the flowers in the village? I haven't seen a lot from you about the hours of negotiation by the P.C. to get a new Medical Centre in the village!
If you think the P.C. is so terrible, put yourself up for election and give the voters a chance to put you in charge? You might even lend your time to altering the situation in your residents' only street by making it possible for people to park there for part of the day?
Sarah...re. school pick ups... the P.C. have tried to improve that situation with various ideas; the bottom line is that the parents (95% mothers?) simply will not park and walk.
Dan...its the ones who park where they are NOT meant to that gets up everyone's nasal organs? Towing away? Clamping? Name & Shame? or just let everyone get on with it in a dog eat dog manner?
I am sorry that our customers are getting fined when all they wanted was to buy a pie. That makes for a very expensive pie.
If this continues indefinitely then this really is the death knell of Alderley Edge high street. We are a strong business yet still a small one and not invincible. We have been attacked twice in the last couple of years: Pasty tax and now parking.
I cannot believe this is coming from a conservative government - I thought they were on the side of business. Mrs Thatcher must be turning in her grave.