A CAMPAIGN group from Wantage and Grove has sought to clarify ‘fake news’ about parking in the area.

It follows online comments about a lack of parking in Wantage which suggested that the problem was because the town council, district council and police were responsible for dealing with the issue and that the level of enforcement varied between them.

The comments suggested that there were plans to have all parking ‘decriminalised’ and give the town council control of all enforcement.

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However, addressing the comments, Julie Mabberley of the Wantage and Grove Campaign Group said: “Firstly, Vale District Council is responsible for the car parks at the Beacon parts of Limborough Road and the car park at the bottom of Mill Street. The town council is responsible for the car parking in the centre of the market place and once again does carry out some enforcement.

“Secondly, the police are responsible for all roadside parking – or within 10 metres of a junction. Single yellow lines indicate some parking restrictions.

"But the police don’t see illegal parking as a priority and rarely enforce these laws.”

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She continued: “Thirdly, the district council are discussing de-criminalisation with the county council and the police and it might happen, but the Vale would be responsible for parking regulations not the town council.

"I asked our town clerk if the town council had discussed taking on parking enforcement and was informed that this was fake news.

“We agree that there is a conundrum. If parking laws were enforced in Wantage there wouldn’t be enough spaces in the car parks for everyone wanting to park in the town so some extra parking would have to be found.”

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A spokesperson from Vale of White Horse District Council added: “The council is in the process of considering whether to take over responsibility for on street parking in the district.

"Oxfordshire County Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse officers are working in partnership to jointly procure a consultant to carry out a county-wide Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) feasibility study.

“This would include a full review to look at existing car parking orders and yellow lines.

“In the meantime, we would urge motorists to act responsibly and think first before parking outside permitted areas.”