NEWPORT, Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent councils are making final preparations to take over parking enforcement from the police next month.

From Monday, July 1, the three councils will be responsible for enforcing parking offences, joining Monmouthshire and Caerphilly who took over from Gwent Police in April.

Gwent is the last police force area to still carry out parking enforcement, with the transfer of powers to councils bringing the region in line with the rest of Wales.

All three councils will start by giving out warning notices.

Newport will issue warning notices the week prior to taking over enforcement, while Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent will do so for around two weeks from July 1.

In Blaenau Gwent this will be known as a “fair notice” period, allowing residents to adjust to the changes.

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Blaenau Gwent council will initially focus on tackling parking offences in priority areas such as town centres, schools and The Works site in Ebbw Vale.

Council workers from all three authorities have been out refreshing double yellow lines and other road markings in recent weeks.

Fines issued for offences will be £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, and £50, reduced to £25, for lesser offences.

Blaenau Gwent councillor Garth Collier, executive member for environment, said: “This is not a money making exercise as legislation states that any money from fines is re-invested back into the highways and transportation network.”

Civil parking enforcement offices will be able to enforce all parking related restrictions by issuing a Penalty Charge Notice for any vehicle found to be parked illegally.

Responsibility for enforcing more serious traffic-related offences, or where it is necessary in the interests of public safety, remains with Gwent Police.

Many residents have welcomed the council take over.

David Barnes, who runs his own PR firm near Newport city centre, said: “The junction of Clytha Park Road and Caerau Road can be very dangerous at rush hour in particular.

“If someone has parked on the corner at the bottom of the hill it is especially bad.”

Gareth Thomas, from Pontypool, said he hopes Torfaen council “might have more luck” in clamping down on unlawful parking.

The three councils have also been running social media campaigns to raise awareness of the changes, with Newport using the #ParkRight tag and Torfaen reaching more than 32,000 people with posts on Facebook.

More information can be found on Newport, Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen council’s websites.