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Northern Ireland Office;Northern Ireland Roads Service

Answer

Mr. Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to introduce residential-only parking areas in Northern Ireland. [192545] Mr. Spellar: The Chief Executive of Roads Service (Dr. Malcolm McKibbin) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. Letter from Dr. Malcolm McKibbin to Mr. Roy Beggs dated, 20 October 2004: You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what plans he has to introduce residents' only parking areas in Northern Ireland. I have been asked to reply as these issues fall within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Roads Service. As you may be aware, the Department took the necessary primary legislative power in the Road Traffic Regulation (NI) Order 1997 to enable it to introduce residents' parking controls. A considerable amount of exploratory work was undertaken at that time in conjunction with the police in the expectation that a small number of pilot schemes would be introduced in Ballymena and Belfast. I am sure you will appreciate that, in order to be effective, such measures require meaningful enforcement. Regrettably, in March 2002 the PSNI wrote formally to Roads Service and advised that it would be unable to accept this responsibility and as such, we were not able to proceed with our proposals at that time. Subsequently, Roads Service initiated a process to introduce the necessary primary legislative power to decriminalise on-street parking offences and assume responsibility for enforcement of parking restrictions. I must point out however, that the introduction of Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) is a complex procedure. It is anticipated that the new primary legislation will be in place in 2005 and that the new enforcement arrangements will be fully operational by mid-2006, thus permitting the opportunity to introduce and enforce residents' parking schemes. More recently, following the intervention of John Spellar MP, the Chief Constable, Hugh Orde, wrote to Roads Service confirming that he had asked that District Commanders give consideration to assisting with the enforcement of residents' parking schemes where it would fit in with policing priorities at a local level. My staff are currently liaising with PSNI to determine how best a small number of pilot schemes might be introduced and adequately enforced so as to fully inform the development of policy and from which to learn how best the concept might be rolled out in appropriate places. In parallel with this, we are liaising with Local Authorities in Great Britain to gather best practice to help inform this development of policy. I can assure you that we are progressing this matter as expeditiously as possible however, the introduction of any pilot schemes at this time will depend on the PSNI ability to enforce. Should this enforcement not be forthcoming, it is unlikely that residents' parking schemes will become an on-the- ground reality before parking offences are decriminalised in mid-2006, and responsibility for the enforcement of on-street waiting restrictions is transferred to this Department.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

425 c813-4W; 192545

Session

2003-04

Subjects

Parking Northern Ireland Parking offences

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk