Council enforcement team’s camera car plans delayed

Alec Doyle Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to spend almost £79,000 on an electric camera car to bolster a Welsh council’s enforcement team have been put on hold for a month following technical issues.

A problem with Wrexham County Borough Council’s livestream on Tuesday forced its Homes and Enviropnment Scrutiny Committee to defer it’s recommendations on the proposals until its meeting in May.

Before the malfunction arose councillors were told that, if approved, the car would cost £78,775 and be on the road carrying out enforcement action by October this year.

Originally projected to issue around 4,000 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) a year for offences from illegal parking to driving offences around schools generating around £140,000 of revenue, the vehicle would be operated by fully-trained enforcement officers at an estimated cost of around £150,000 per year.

Liaison with Brigend County Borough Council, which already operates a similar camera car, revealed the authority issues on average 500 PCN’s per month.

But members were told that Wrexham’s ticket estimates had been revised down for the initial introduction phase while the council bedded in the new technology. The enforcement team now projects it will initially issue 3,000 tickets in the first year rising to 5,000 per year over a four-year span.

“When we discussed the enforcement services in detail in January’s committee, members supported in principle the operation of a camera car,” said Interim Head of Environment and Technical Services, Gareth Jones.

“Last time we suggested issuing roughly 4,000 tickets a year. We’ve started off more conservatively than that now to ensure that we get the operation correct and ensure we can enforce in particular areas of concern, so primarily outside schools for example.

“We’re not planning to launch a camera car and just indiscriminately target people for the sake of it. It will be built on an algorithm of risk to ensure that we keep our community safe.”

Cllr Paul Pemberton welcomed the idea but remained concerned about the cost.

“I think it’s a cracking idea to be quite honest,” he said. “It’ll make it safer around schools.

“I’m looking at the costings. I think it sounds a lot of money to start with, but when you get into technology and that, I suppose it’s understandable.

“Short term it’s going to cost an absolute fortune, but long term, looking at the projected figures, it’s going to be a benefit. And anything that makes our roads safer is very important.

“Is there any way that the operator of this vehicle, if he or she is driving through the community and sees illegal parking in a serious way, could actually stop that car and book that person there and then?”

Mr Jones confirmed that enforcement officers in the car would be able to address serious or dangerous situations immediately.

“The driver will be a fully qualified enforcement officer,” he said. “So while the camera will pick up that offence anyway, they’ll be looking to ensure that our community is safe.

“If they see something which is an immediate risk or an immediate danger, we’ll set protocols for them to ensure they stop safely and take whatever action is necessary.”

Cllr Pemberton also challenged the initial cost.

“I’m looking at this outlay in year one, £78,775. Could this vehicle not be leased and that cost sort of spread out so the initial costing wouldn’t be anywhere near that?”

Mr Jones said that the option presented to councillors was the most cost-effective option.

“We acknowledge that there is that cost but, as it projects, it will eventually become an income,” he said. “The figures that we’ve based it (PCNs) on are quite reserved, so we anticipate that these figures will actually be higher than what they look.

“But we didn’t want to have an over‑zealous approach and impact your constituents greater than needs be. We can target relevant areas such as schools without sending the car out for the sake of sweeping around and getting additional tickets.”

Leader of Wrexham Council Cllr Mark Pritchard said that the camera car offered an opportunity to improve safety, not revenue.

” For me, it was never about generating income,”he said. “We’ve always had problems outside schools. In every community, wherever you are, at certain times – morning and finishing times – there are so many children coming out and they need to be safe.

“I think that this will improve the safety of the children and, if that works well, we’ve all gained, haven’t we?

“If there’s some money to be generated from it, so be it, but it was never about the generation of income for me.

“I think there needs to be a message sent out to parents because, in my capacity as Leader, I have many complaints. I have sat outside schools at a distance with officers watching the battles that go on between parents, how they try to get as close as they can to schools through inappropriate parking.

“It does need addressing.”

Members of the committee will return to make their recommendations on Wednesday, May 13.