Saturday Market is top of the list for parking tickets

Almost 10,000 parking fines were issued by the council’s wardens in the space of a year, with more than a quarter of them in Beverley.

They dished out 2,639 in the town between April 2020 and March 2021, slightly more than in Bridlington, and one part of Beverley town centre proved to be a hot-spot for tickets.

Saturday Market had the highest number of penalty charge notices issued anywhere in the East Riding, according to the council’s annual parking report.

It said 337 tickets were given out to motorists who had flouted the rules.

Wardens were also kept busy at Butcher Row car park, which was third on the list with 203 fines, and North Bar Within also made the top 10.

In total, 247 drivers returned to their vehicles in Cottingham to be greeted with the sight of an unwanted yellow envelope.

Driffield (783), Goole (777) and Pocklington (524) were third, fourth and fifth in the list, with far fewer tickets given out in popular tourist resorts such as Hornsea (253), Flamborough (176) and Withernsea (59).

Elsewhere in the Beverley Life area, 12 tickets were given out in Molescroft and 28 in Brandesburton.

The report says: “There is a balance between the level of enforcement in terms of operational costs and the need to deter illegal parking in order to meet traffic management objectives.

“If enforcement is increased, the operational costs of the service will also increase but parking contraventions should fall. Similarly, if enforcement is reduced, the operational costs will fall but illegal parking may increase.

“Unrestricted parking will lead to congestion, obstructions and spaces being fully occupied with limited access to parking during desirable periods.

“Parking management can be used to moderate demand and encourage turnover. Achieving the right balance is difficult, particularly with the current economic climate and financial pressures faced by local authorities and local communities.”