Clearing PCN backlogs - Taunton Deane council reveals how it cleared 3,000 outstanding parking fines, with a little help from CCS Enforcement Services

摘要

TAKING OVER parking enforcement can serve up myriad challenges for a local authority. Contrary to popular opinion, many new parking authorities struggle to break even, particularly during the early years of a scheme. Taunton Deane Borough Council's biggest headache during the early years of its parking regime was a steadily growing pile of unpaid penalty charge notices (PCNs). When the scheme began in 2001 the Somerset council introduced a new in-house processing and management system to handle PCNs, but this was being installed and developed at the same time that PCNs were being issued. By the time the parking services team got around to actually handling PCNs, it faced a seemingly insurmountable task. Three years into the scheme the backlog had grown to 3,000 unpaid PCNs, and the council decided it needed the help of a bailiff.