Terrific Trevor
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 18:54
Currently involved in a dispute with local councillor who is claiming that "council parking enforcement costs more than income"
Any advice / facts disputing his claims greatly appreciated. The council is Hertfordshire based.
Many thanks
bama
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 19:04
Hard to give facts about 'some unnamed council'
What do the published numbers say ?
and which council (respond to that by PM if you prefer)
some of the Herts ones are 'off the reservation'...
Mad Mick V
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 19:11
If it's a District Council that is only responsible for off-street car parks he might be right.
Mick
clark_kent
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 19:27
What do you mean by 'parking enforcement'? Its a rather vague term that could either just mean issuing PCNs or the whole process from consultations, road markings, traffic orders, appeals etc. Most people seem to think its a licence to print money but there is more to it than just paying some bod to wander around handing out tickets.
hcandersen
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 20:35
The account will have direct income, direct costs and indirect costs.
Focus on the indirect costs which represent 'Central' overheads, that is to say costs from elsewhere in the council.
The direct income and direct costs are real cash but the overheads are purely an accounting tool to make it appear that no 'net' profit is made when in reality parking income is paying for part of the Chief Exec's PA, library books, bloated management and assorted pen-pushers.
Bluedart
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 20:36
County councils are responsible for on and off street enforcement and some do lose money on this function. However, all on street P&D brings in an added income which they use to off set any loses made through enforcement. County councils come under the law regarding what they can and cannot spend any surplus on (Section 55 RTR Act 1984) off street car parking P&D income can be used for any purpose. That is why there is always a battle going on between what the county charges for on street P&D and what the districts charge for their P&D. If there is a shortage of off street parking facilities, they county (As I understand it) are responsible for providing further off street parking accommodation (If there is a need). And that is where there is a lot of controversy as to whether they should provide further off street parking even when there is a need.
enjoy-life
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 21:01
When councils have shameless fatcat CEOs and Departmental Heads on six figure salaries, and hordes of useless flunkeys, it is pretty easy to wipe out any "profit" by allocating some of the council parking scam income to those cost centres.
Terrific Trevor
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 21:03
QUOTE (clark_kent @ Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 20:27)
What do you mean by 'parking enforcement'? Its a rather vague term that could either just mean issuing PCNs or the whole process from consultations, road markings, traffic orders, appeals etc. Most people seem to think its a licence to print money but there is more to it than just paying some bod to wander around handing out tickets.
Hi Clark Kent what I mean is the cost of the ever growing numbers of CEO`s patrolling the car parks and roads of my town. They far out number the police in my town centre.
enjoy-life
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 21:15
The councillor is either a fool who believes what he's fed by the clerks, being himself ignorant of elementary accounting trickery, or is just having a laugh at your expense (in both senses).
QUOTE (clark_kent @ Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 20:27)
there is more to it than just paying some bod to wander around handing out tickets.
Sure there is, absolutely correct.
There's also the evil pleasure that the damage to society done by the whole scam brings to the type-C personalities who infest these departments.
hcandersen
Sun, 15 Jun 2014 - 21:21
County councils are responsible for on and off street enforcement and some do lose money on this function.
Especially when they have so-called agency arrangements with districts which require the latter to remit a proportion of their net profit to the county and when the districts fiddle their books to ensure that the overhead for the deputy assistant dog's body ends up being charged to the parking account.
Been there, done it. Anyone want a T-shirt?
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