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More than 17,000 Penalty Charge Notices have been issued by Merthyr Tydfil Council's enforcement vehicle since its introduction in March 2022, with the potential fines totalling more than £1.2 million. But while some parents feel unfairly targeted when dropping off and collecting their children from school, other residents argue that dangerous and illegal parking is putting pupils and pedestrians at risk.
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The Valleys Briefing
(A little round-up of some stories in brief from our valleys. Anytime you have something you’d like to share, no matter how big or small, email laurencrosbymedlicott@gmail.com):
The latest legal challenge against the closure of Pontllanfraith Leisure Centre has failed. Court documents show a judge found Caerphilly County Borough Council’s decision to close the centre was “lawful”, following a request for judicial review. The Council has tried several times to shut down the leisure centre, claiming it faces a more than £700,000 bill for maintenance and better services can be provided elsewhere in the Borough. However, the Council’s various closure plans since 2018 have met stiff opposition from community members, who argued the site was well used and valued. The latest plan to keep the centre permanently shut was launched in early 2025, just weeks after a judge quashed the council’s previous closure decision. But at the latest judicial review, requested on four grounds, a High Court Judge dismissed the claiman’s application.
Councillors in Blaenau Gwent want to see more use made of Ysbyty Aneurin Bevan hospital, a 96 in-patient bed community hospital in Ebbw Vale, to save patients from having to travel out of the Borough for appointments and treatments. Councillors pointed out at a Council meeting last week that poor public transportation connections affect people getting to appointments on time. “We have a big hospital in Ebbw Vale that’s not being used to its potential, and we need to push the NHS on this,” Councillor Derrick Bevan stated. “A lot of things that need people to travel to Nevill Hall, Royal Gwent, The Grange, and Ystrad Mynach could be done in Ebbw Vale.”
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has launched its annual Santa Appeal to ensure no child in the county borough goes without a Christmas present this year. Year on year, kind-hearted residents, businesses and partner organisation donate thousands of presents between them to ensure children and young people have a gift to open on Christmas morning. Thanks to their overwhelming generosity each of the children - identified by social workers – was able to enjoy a present which had been thoughtfully chosen for them and their age. If you’d like to donate to the Santa Appeal, all you have to do is email Santaappeal@rctcbc.gov.uk or phone 01443 425025 and state how many children you wish to purchase a gift for.
More than 17,000 parking fines issued by Merthyr Tydfil camera car as parents and residents remain divided
Data obtained by The Valleys Lead through a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed that 17,333 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued by an enforcement vehicle in Merthyr Tydfil since its introduction in 2022.
When The Valleys Lead asked Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council to comment on the 17,333 PCNs issued in Merthyr Tydfil by the enforcement vehicle, and for the total monetary value of PCNs issued since the vehicle was introduced in March 2022, it did not challenge the data but responded that total monetary value was not recorded, explaining that “the system does not record amounts, only that they have been paid.”
However, with each PCN carrying a £70 penalty, reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days, the total value of all 17,333 fines would amount to £1,213,310 if paid at the full rate.
When the enforcement vehicle was introduced, Councillor Geraint Thomas said that “the cameras [on the vehicle] will be used by the parking department to capture vehicles parked illegally at zebra crossings, bus stops and zig zag markings around schools.”
Parents accuse Council of using camera car as a “cash cow”
While the Council has maintained that the enforcement vehicle is intended to protect pedestrians, including children, and other road users, some parents believe it is being used as a money-making tool.
Sam Freili, a mother of two young children, said she feels the vehicle deliberately targets streets during school hours.
“It feels like they go around the streets at those times [school times] on purpose to get money,” she said.
She recalled receiving a penalty after briefly pulling into a bus lane outside her child’s school for around 30 seconds.
“My baby was poorly, and I just wanted my child to jump out,” she told The Valleys Lead. “I disputed it and complained but they said it didn’t matter – I had to pay.”
A father of two children in Merthyr Tydfil, who asked not to be named, described the enforcement vehicle as “a massive bugbear.”
“It annoys me to no end,” he said. “I think it is just a cash cow. Why does the Council seek to penalise hard-working residents who just want to get their kids to and from school?”
He explained that the school his children attend, like many others across Merthyr Tydfil, was built decades ago, within a residential area that has gradually expanded around it.
At the same time, more parents are now working and need to drop off or collect their children during the working day. For many, doing so quickly and conveniently is difficult without suitable places to park.
“Why not have constructive discussions about what else can be done to help parents get their kids to school?” he asked.
“The Council should be looking at systems like an American-style school drop-off or providing alternative places to park for parents instead of continuously fining them for just trying to pick their kids up. But they don’t – they’d rather fine us. The system is punitive.”
When The Valleys Lead asked Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council how it would respond to parents who say there are no suitable places to drop off or collect their children, a Council spokesperson said:
“We do not advise parents where to park, only that they park safely and legally. This could be in nearby car parks or on surrounding streets.”
Residents say dangerous parking is putting children at risk
However, not all residents view the enforcement vehicle negatively.
Tom* from Gelli Dawell, near Ysgol Gymraeg Santes Tudful, told The Valleys Lead that something needs to be done about dangerous parking around the school situated next to his home. He believes the enforcement vehicle could potentially form part of the solution.
The primary school occupies a new building, but Tom believes there were “missed opportunities” during the planning process to address the congestion that occurs at drop-off and pick-up times.
“The school itself has no spaces for parent parking, even though they have the space to build a new childcare facility, which will only make parking matters worse,” he said.