Parking wars,Hereford

[ragwert]

Hereford is on Parking wars tonight on ITV AT 8pm

[H.Wilson]

Cheers, I will watch that.

[ragwert]

Shocking    

[greenknight]

So the Mayor at Ross will put his fine through expenses eh.....

I know people get uptight about parking but trust me if parking was free it would also mean a free for all.

My company pays around £50 a month on parking in hospital car parks but I know if it were free like in Wales I could be driving around for somewhere to park for an hour.

With the exception of the Hereford Hospital which does have the most expensive charges this side of the country most parking charges aren't that bad in the county.

There are far for more things to get stressed about ..like rubbish.

[Roger]

I watched. The programme featured Hereford more heavily than I thought it might. Hereford Council fronted up one of their veteran attendants to be followed. His name is 'Andy'. He knows the rules inside out and back to front and was assisting a newish female attendant. Andy values 'quality' over 'quantity' when issuing parking tickets. His words not mine. He is also awaiting a more funny joke than the one's he's been hearing recently on the streets. He is CEO 40. 

 

His last 'quality' ticket, that I have knowledge of, was issued very recently. Pictured here:

 

 

The grovelling apology by the Council for the issue of the 'joke' ticket outside Planet Buffet can be read below on the link:

 

Hereford Times

 

The Council says that "It is not the council’s intention to issue penalty charge notices so quickly after a restriction commences" but quite clearly it is as one of their most experienced people is at the forefront of issuing extremely disturbing tickets. This must be a trend I would guess. It may just not have hit the surface sufficiently? 

[Adrian symonds]

I just watched it on catch up, nothing surprises me.

Give people a uniform and this is what you get, 

 

I do agree that some people parks where they like and double yellow lines seems to be the sign to park on the pavement. 

[Colin James]

So the Mayor at Ross will put his fine through expenses eh.....

I know people get uptight about parking but trust me if parking was free it would also mean a free for all.

My company pays around £50 a month on parking in hospital car parks but I know if it were free like in Wales I could be driving around for somewhere to park for an hour.

With the exception of the Hereford Hospital which does have the most expensive charges this side of the country most parking charges aren't that bad in the county.

There are far for more things to get stressed about ..like rubbish.

 

I thought he was a right prat. He did himself no favours.

[Roger]

Outrage at Mayor's Parking Wars

 

 

 

The Mayor of Ross-on-Wye appeared on a national television programme, ITV’s Parking Wars, on Tuesday, September 29th, saying town residents would have to pay a parking ticket he received for overstaying in a Hereford car park.

 

However the Deputy Town Clerk, Mrs Rachel Lewis issued a statement on Wednesday, September 30th, denying that the Council paid the fine. She said: “The Mayor received a parking ticket but he did not ask the Town Council to pay it. He paid the fine from his own pocket the following day.â€

 

Councillor Colin Gray was wearing his Mayoral chain at the time he received the ticket, as he was attending an event organised by the High Sheriff in April. He asked the parking enforcement officers why he had received a ticket and said he would appeal the £50 fine ‘the rate payers of Ross will pay for it otherwise’.

 

The dispute was caught by a television crew filming in Hereford for the ITV documentary.

 

Cllr Gray added that he would ask his secretary to appeal the ticket. He told the film crew he had put £4 into the machine but only £3 registered.

 

The documentary sparked outrage on social media, Martyn Bolt tweeted: “Not good advert for area on #ParkingWars as Town Mayor got ticket.â€

 

Catherine Finlay said: “Lets hope he has reconsidered his position on that!â€

 

And Neil Jackson said: “Did a Mayor just admit on TV to putting his fines on expenses? Does anyone else see the issue with that? #ParkingWarsâ€

 

Stu E said: “So the Lord Mayor of Ross on Wye feels he is above the law then. The arrogance of this man is unbelievable!â€

 

The Ross Gazette has spoken at length with the Mayor, Cllr Colin Gray this morning but he said he has been advised by the Herefordshire Association of Local Councils to make ‘no comment’, other than to reiterate the official statement from Ross Town Council.

 

 

Ross Gazette

 

Putting to one side the comical comments of the Mayor I would point out that the enforcement appeared to be happening in the evening in that half empty Gaol Street car park. They were sorting out a problem that didn't exist. There were no issues with traffic flow or congestion. It was purely an exercise in revenue enforcement.

 

If the Council have got spare people to wander about in the evening I would sooner they don some high viz clothing and get given a broom and a barrow so as to sweep up some rubbish.

[Denise Lloyd]

I think HT need to head hunt the reporter from Ross Gazette

[Cambo]

Outrage at Mayor's Parking Wars





Ross Gazette

Putting to one side the comical comments of the Mayor I would point out that the enforcement appeared to be happening in the evening in that half empty Gaol Street car park. They were sorting out a problem that didn't exist. There were no issues with traffic flow or congestion. It was purely an exercise in revenue enforcement.

If the Council have got spare people to wander about in the evening I would sooner they don some high viz clothing and get given a broom and a barrow so as to sweep up some rubbish.[/quote

Yes well I think we will see a lot more residential parking schemes coming into force because as the council look to plug the holes in there budget with more cutbacks from central government to come they will have to look at other ways of getting money & parking is a good earner.

That female traffic warden gave out on average 30 tickets a day according to the other traffic warden working with her! basically it's a no brainier for the council easy money, so if you don't already have a residents parking scheme in your area don't be surprised if one is set up where you live in the not to distant future!

Personally I'm against the resident parking scheme in Bartersham area they have it I think between the hours of 8am-6pm Monday to Saturday but there's always plenty of parking between those hours but not in the evening so in my opinion that's when it should be in operation & not in daytime or better still not at all!

[Roger]

I think that the Council apology in the HT about the crazy Planet Buffet ticket says it all really. Hand wringing when they get found out with their dodgy tactics. But then appearing on camera to exude a persona of being a beacon of fairness. 'Quality' tickets issued instead of 'Quantity' ..... All a load of rubbish. 

[Bilbobobby]

I found the actual programme a very poor reflection on the city and the attitude of the one CEO disgraceful - arrogant and smarmy to say the very least. The programme also proported to show the 'head of parking' in Hereford - well unless they have a rapid change of manager, it definitely wasn't him!!

[Roger]

Mayor apologises after saying town residents would pay for his parking fine

 

 

THE Mayor of Ross-on-Wye has apologised for saying taxpayers would pay for a parking fine on a TV programme and said he now like to continue serving his community.

 

Cllr Colin Gray was caught on camera for ITV documentary Parking Wars when he received a parking fine in Hereford's Gaol Street.

 

He told the parking enforcement officers he would appeal the £50 fine "otherwise the rate payers of Ross will pay for it."

 

At the start of Ross town council's meeting on Monday night he issued a statement which said: "I want to express my regret at my response and the subsequent exchange that took place between myself and the car parking officer.

 

"I had no intention of trying to make a claim from the council to cover the cost of the fine. I made the payment from my own finances the following day.

 

"I am sorry that my actions have caused distress to others and I would like to put this unfortunate incident behind me.

 

"I intend to continue serving my community in any way I can and use my influence for the good of those living and working in Ross.

 

"I would now ask that you respect my wish to draw a line under this matter and return to business as usual."

 

 

The meeting then carried on as usual.

 

Town councillor, Jo Jennings, was not at the meeting as she has reportedly gone on strike from the council after she said councillors were told not to discuss the matter with the press or public.

 

Cllr Jennings was elected onto the council for the first time in May.

 

She has not responded to Hereford Times' request for a comment but on Facebook she said: "I feel that I simply don't BELONG in Council anymore. I'd rather focus on those I love. I'd rather focus on raving and ranting. I'd rather focus on writing. I'd rather focus on "reaching out", which is just what I sought to do throughout my brief time as a councillor. I hope that the "friends" I made during these pitiful attempts at sanity will remember me as such."

 

 

 

HT

 

I see that the HT couldn't get a direct quote from Cllr. Jennings but she has spoken to The Ross Gazette. She has deemed the episode 'Colingate'. Her letter to the Editor will be published tomorrow in that paper. Brief details on the RG website indicate she is not resigning and is on a 6 month strike over this incident.

 

Ross Gazette