RCT Council’s enforcement team has taken action to bring Cwmbach Park and Ride back in to use following a number of complaints from residents and Transport for Wales.
The Council-owned parking facility boast 13 spaces that are available for customers to park and ride. Following a number of complaints that the car park was always full of the ‘same’ vehicles, the Council took action to investigate.
The facility was previously well used by its local commuters and helps to reduce traffic congestion in the local town centre, as people can park and quickly catch the train into town for shopping or work purposes.
Upon investigation the Streetcare enforcement and Civil Parking enforcement teams worked jointly to discover that nine out of the 13 spaces were occupied by cars that had not moved for several months.
Under section 2a of the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978, the teams issued the nine cars with notices to move the vehicles within 7 days and pay a £200 Fixed Penalty Notice. Failure to comply with this notice would lead to further action being taken, which would see the cars removed and potentially scrapped – with removal, storge and scrappage costs being sought from the traceable owner, through the courts if necessary.
Following the notices being issued, four cars were removed by their owner(s) and the £200 Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN) for each vehicle will now be recovered.
The remaining five cars have now been removed by the Council’s joint enforcement team and are now waiting for their owner(s) to collect them – or they will be scrapped and the investigation will continue to find the traceable owners and re-cover the costs incurred. Failure to pay the fixed penalty will lead to the matter being referred to the courts and could lead to a fine of up to £2500 and or 3 months imprisonment.
The message is clear, the Council’s enforcement teams will take the action needed to ensure that our County Borough is not a dumping ground for dog mess, littering, fly-tipping or abandoned cars. RCT residents deserve to live in an area free from these unsightly and often hazardous items. Anyone found blighting Rhondda Cynon Taf will face a fine or court action when needed.
Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services, said:
“This latest case once again demonstrates great teamwork by our dedicated enforcement teams, that has now led to this facility being brought back in to use for the local community to utilise.
“The team continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our County Borough is a clean, green area for us all to live, work and visit and it is once again the minority of individuals that are blighting the highways of RCT. The team will continue their great work and this latest case should act as a deterrent to those who think that they won’t get caught red handed!”
