More than 700 parking tickets issued by Caerphilly council in first weeks of taking over enforcement – while Monmouthshire council handed out none

Enforcement officers capable of issuing fines have been in place since both authorities took over responsibilities from Gwent Police on April 8.

Unlawful parking is said to be reducing in Caerphilly’s town centres and outside school gates at peak hours, according to the council.

Blackwood town centre was one of several hotspots identified by Caerphilly council

But Monmouthshire council has yet to issue a single ticket, instead opting to leave “polite notices” with those found to be inconsiderately parked.

Roger Hoggins, head of operations, said it would take time for residents to adjust to the council having the power to issue fines for illegal parking.

“It has been considered necessary to extend the polite notice period to better manage the expectations of our residents and offer a fully transparent service,” he added.

A similar approach had been taken by Caerphilly council, with officers handing out fake parking tickets warning motorists prior to the civil parking enforcement handover last month.

READ MORE: 'Fake' tickets and song parody form part of Caerphilly's civil parking campaign

But fines have been issued ever since the scheme was formally introduced in the borough, with members of the public inundating officers with calls to enforce hotspots.

Deputy council leader Sean Morgan said: “It is encouraging that we are already seeing improvements across the area with noticeable differences in our busy town centres, which is good news for shoppers and retailers alike.

Councillor Sean Morgan

“Inconsiderate parking can cause obstructions, reduce traffic flow and cause road safety concerns as well as affecting business if loading bays and other restricted spaces are obstructed.”

Motorists face fines of up to £70 for the most serious offences, and £50 or £25 for lesser parking breaches.

All income received from fines will fund the enforcement service, with any extra money set aside for reinvestment into the borough’s road network.

A Caerphilly council spokesman said it was difficult to put a figure on the total income from fines for the first month as maximum fines can be reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

Officers are not expected to be hitting any targets for the number of tickets issued or money recouped from fines, says Cllr Morgan.

He added: “Our priority is to make the streets of the county borough safer for motorists and pedestrians.”

Civil parking enforcement powers will be transferred to Blaenau Gwent council on June 30 and Newport and Torfaen councils on July 1.