Nottinghamshire County Council: Have your say on plans to enforce moving traffic offences at a site in Newark

The county council is planning to apply for new powers from the Government to enforce moving traffic offences and has identified the ASDA access off the B6166 Portland Street in Newark as a potential location for enforcement.

Currently only the police can enforce moving traffic offences, which include stopping in a yellow box junction and ignoring banned left or right turn signs, but recent changes to legislation now mean that local authorities can apply to enforce these offences through the use of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The ASDA access off the B6166 Portland Street in Newark has been identified as an enforcement location as a large number of motorists are attempting to turn left into the store, despite the ‘no left turn’ sign. This means that traffic builds on other routes in the area.

Penalty Charge Notices for moving traffic contraventions are set nationally and are currently £70, with a 50% discount offered for payment within the first 14 days.

The county council would now like the views of residents and motorists on the potential future enforcement at the site. More information including a map of the site, frequently asked questions and a link to the online survey can be found on the county council’s website: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/movingtrafficenforcement

People have until 20 June 2023 to comment on the plans.

Mark Walker, Service Director for Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “Currently only Nottinghamshire Police can enforce moving traffic offences in Nottinghamshire, but the legislation change means that the county council could use these powers at identified sites.

“We are considering applying to the Department for Transport (DfT) for these powers because we recognise that despite clear signage, some restrictions on the road network are now being followed, which is resulting in safety concerns and congestion.

“Road safety remains a high priority for us at the county council and we want to do all we can to make Nottinghamshire highways as safe as possible for all road users.

“Evidence suggests that the use of ANPR cameras by other local authorities has been effective in ensuring compliance.

“We have chosen this location in Nottinghamshire as it is congested and we see a high number of contraventions each day, and motorists who ignore these restrictions are putting other road users in danger.

“We are keen to hear from as many people as possible about the potential enforcement at these sites and all responses will be considered by the county council before any application for these powers is made.

“The earliest date for enforcement beginning would be Autumn 2023 and we will keep residents and motorists updated throughout the application process.”