Problem parking in Wisbech: Retired councillor calls on council and MP for action to be taken

Five drivers were slapped with fines for illegal parking in Wisbech in one day on November 20. Photo: Policing Wisbech (Image: Archant)

Former town councillor Alan Lay has hit out after snapping two illegally parked cars in Wisbech on the same day and says that the council – and Mr Barclay – are not doing their job if they do not take action.

He said: “It’s obvious there is a lack of enforcement in Wisbech. I have friends and relations living in London and they are appalled at this complete disregard to all parking laws that exist throughout the country but are not enforced in Wisbech.

“Councillors and MPs are voted in by the public. They are supposed to do what the public want of them. It is their obligation to do that – not to pick and choose or to ignore what is so apparent. If they do not act then they are not fit for purpose.”

Mr Lay’s call came in the same week that five penalty notices were dished out to illegal parkers in just one morning in Wisbech town centre.

Photos of the poor parking were posted to the Policing Wisbech Facebook page with the caption “Please park legally and considerately to avoid receiving a £30 fine.” The post prompted dozens of comments from people fed up with poor parking.

One person said: “There’s absolutely no need for this type of parking. All car parks in Wisbech are free so it’s just laziness not to use them.

“The paltry £30 fine is not enough to deter these inconsiderate drivers. It must be doubled or even trebled to make it a deterrent.”

Another called for a permanent traffic warden to be brought in. They said: “It’s bizarre people are still parking in pointless places when there’s so much free parking around.”

Councillor Virginia Bucknor, however, believes the issue is down to a lack of police action.

She said: “Whilst there may be the occasional ticketing by the police, either the fines are not high enough or the lack of police patrols is too infrequent to get the message across to these very selfish drivers.

“We must demand greater support from our police as the repercussions are not merely inconvenient bad parking but people deciding to shop elsewhere.”