Dudley Council is planning to more than double the number of parking enforcement officers pounding the borough’s streets.

Currently there are fewer than ten officers on duty at any one time to patrol more than 700 miles of roads. As part of a major restructure at the council, parking enforcement is out to tender for a private contractor to take over. Cllr Damian Corfield, cabinet member for highways and environmental services, said:

“I want 21 active officers available seven days a week. Parking services historically have not been done well and we are looking to outsource it.

“We are looking for a company that specialises in parking enforcement.”

The ambitious plan would mean a big jump in the number of officers, currently Dudley employs 11 officers in total.

Cllr Corfield admitted he was not up to speed when he told members of the public at a meeting of the north Dudley Your Home Your Forum on February 7 that there were 15 officers on the council’s payroll. He said:

“Between my last update and the start of February four staff left the authority. I was not given February’s information, as far as I was aware we had 15 employed.”

Parking has been on the agenda at the Local Government Association which recently called for powers to ban parking on pavements to be extended from London to all councils in England.

Cllr Corfield said only police officers can hand out fines to drivers who block pavements. He added:

“We need to push the police to enforce more, there are things we can do and things we can’t. Parking is a priority for Dudley Council – a big plan we are working on is enforcement cameras.

“I don’t want to alienate drivers, if we have a deterrent in place people will think twice. The council has a positive vision going forward.”