Parking ticket numbers soar across Cannock Chase
The number of parking tickets handed out across part of Staffordshire has rocketed by nearly a quarter in a year, new figures reveal.
Thousands of fines are being issued for illegal parking across Cannock Chase district.
There were 7,221 penalty charge notices issued in the 12 months from April 2013 - up from 5,739 the year before.
Currently parking enforcement in the district is carried out by officials at Cannock Council on behalf of Staffordshire County Council.
But bosses at the district council say they want to severe ties and set up their own operation.
Cannock's leader says the figures show that drivers are bring targeted too much in the district - and he does not believe illegal parking is a problem.
And chiefs also say the service is running at a loss and could be better organised.
Fines can be up to £60 but reduce to £30 if paid within 14 days.
Recent figures showed Cannock Council bosses were set to make £152,300 for the 12 months between April 2013 and 2014, which is up from the £135,200 brought in over the previous financial year. Despite that, the authority will end up with an estimated £28,500 deficit when the cost of providing the service, such as employing wardens, is taken into account.
The total number of tickets includes some 1,585 handed out in the first three months of this year, an increase of 94 on the year before.
But 1,333 - or 19 per cent - of fines were cancelled over the last year. This was compared to 18 per cent, at 1,071, the year before.
The figures are for offences both on street and at off street car parks.
Cannock Council leader George Adamson said: "I don't think parking is a particular problem in Cannock. We have plenty of car parks, both paid for and free, so I don't know why the number of tickets has gone up.
"We are not happy with the current system and we are looking to get out of it. It is working at a loss despite a large number of tickets being issued so something is wrong.
"I think that rather than always penalising people we should try to come up with a better system."
Councillor Adamson said the council was set to make a final decision on the future of parking enforcement in the district soon.
Talks are being held with the county council over the issue.
