A COUNCILLOR has told Renfrewshire Council to “show some b***s” and take people who aren’t paying parking fines to court.

Councillor Kenny MacLaren claimed officers are “terrified” when it comes to legal enforcement, after it was confirmed 1,329 fines went unpaid last year.

He said: “It’s almost like council officers take a step back and they’re terrified when court or legal enforcement are mentioned.

“I think it’s time they showed some b***s and took them to court.

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“That’s money for schools and environment, all the services the council provides.”

Unpaid parking tickets have been a long running problem for the local authority, as 1,333 were ignored in 2017, 1,325 in 2016 and 1,517 in 2015.

The number of parking fines issued in 2017/18 was 6,850 – representing a decrease from the previous year’s figure of 7,855. In 2015/16 5,886 were handed out, while 6,986 were issued in 2014/15.

A total of 1,216 fines were overturned in 2018. The figures were revealed through a Freedom of Information request.

All money generated via the fines is redirected into the council and contributes to the running of its essential services.

Drivers are initially hit with a £30 fine if penalised for illegal parking within the council area, but this figure rises to £60 if they remain unpaid after two weeks. 

The council confirmed the fine can then increase to £90 if the charge is unpaid after “further correspondence with the owner”.

That means the council could be missing out on as much as £119,610 for last year alone.

New wardens are trained in parking as part of their general role.

There are currently 15 trained members of staff who deal with parking-related issues.

However, Councillor MacLaren believes that figure isn’t enough to cover the whole council area and said a new approach should be taken. He said: “Personally, I would put wardens out on a Sunday and not tell people. Get them booked. I think there should be more wardens.”

A spokesman for the local authority said: “We pursue all unpaid parking charges and fines through every available channel and the money recovered is reinvested in delivering council services.

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“Our wardens deliver a range of services, which includes parking enforcement, and will issue fixed penalty charge notices where vehicles are found to be parked illegally. If the £60 penalty charge notice is not paid within the 28-day period, we will contact the registered owner of the vehicle advising the need for payment. 

“If the charge remains unpaid after further correspondence with the owner, the fine will increase to £90 and the matter is then passed to our debt recovery agents.

“They will then pursue the matter on our behalf and this can include undertaking legal action to recover the money owed.”