FAQs
1. What is the CPE?
CPE transfers the powers and responsibilities for on-street parking enforcement from the police to the local highway authority. This allows on-street offences to be treated as civil matters enforced by local authority Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) rather than by the police.
It enables local authorities to tackle issues such as traffic congestion, road safety and to safeguard the interests of residents, blue badge holders, transport operators and local businesses.
It prevents the abuse of specific types of parking such as disabled bays, loading bays, bus stops and should help ease congestion.
Preventing inconsiderate parking, improves access to all who use the highway, it encourages a move to more sustainable modes of transport such as walking and cycling and supports the Council’s overarching environmental objective to reduce congestion and improve air quality.
Civil Parking Enforcement and Bus Lane Enforcement - Cambridgeshire County Council
2. What is the CPE Policy?
The CPE policy aims to support the underlying mechanisms for enforcement and notice processing as set out in national legislation. It ensures the Council’s principles and approach to enforcement and notice processing are clear and transparent and that all aspects from the issuing of a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) to dealing with subsequent challenges or appeals, are delivered in a timely, fair and consistent manner.
It formalises the council’s approach for the delivery of on-street and council operated off-street parking enforcement across those areas where CPE has been adopted.
The advice contained within the document aims to assist the public in understanding how parking is enforced. The Policy is not intended to replace or replicate national guidance but to complement it.
3. Why is the Policy being reviewed?
There is a statutory requirement for the Council to have an appropriate Corporate Enforcement Policy in respect of the regulatory services that it provides. The policy defines the Council’s role and details its responsibilities, approach, and powers.
A review of the existing Enforcement Manual has considered changes in national legislation and guidance and incorporated local and national good practices.
This Policy builds on the basic enforcement practices seen in the Enforcement Manual. It expands those practices to incorporate a more diverse inventory of discretionary and highway parking along with additional guidance and policy surrounding enforcement principles and requirements, mitigation, and the life cycle of a PCN.
The document provides a single policy which will support enforcement consistency, transparency, and clarity across those Districts where enforcement has been decriminalised.
4. Where is the Policy applied?
The policy will only apply in Districts across Cambridgeshire where enforcement has been decriminalised, areas where CPE has been introduced. Outside of these CPE areas, parking enforcement is still undertaken by the Police.
CPE is operational in Cambridge City and South Cambridgeshire and is currently being progressed in Fenland and Huntingdonshire.
East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) are not currently considering the introduction of CPE.
5. What are the Police responsibilities?
Whilst the council employed Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) will issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for parking contraventions relating to single and double yellow line and designated parking bays such as disabled and loading bays, there are sometimes parking problems that CPE powers do not cover.
For those more serious offences such as dangerous parking, obstruction of the footway or cycle lanes and parking on zig-zags by schools, will continue to be enforced by the police.
The enforcement of obstructive parking in areas where there are no yellow lines or parking restrictions in operation, again fall to the Police.
6. What happens next?
All responses will be collated and analysed and will be considered when determining the final CPE Policy.