Huntingdonshire District Council (HDC) is set to gain new powers to enforce parking rules locally, following confirmation from the Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP.
From 28 July 2025, Huntingdonshire will become a Civil Enforcement Area. While this does not change where people can or cannot park, it does mean that powers to enforce existing parking restrictions will be available to the local authority.
Until now, responsibility for parking enforcement has rested with the police. With Civil Parking Enforcement in place, council-employed Civil Enforcement Officers will be able to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) for offences such as parking on double yellow lines or in disabled bays without a valid blue badge. This change is aimed at improving traffic flow, boosting compliance, and ensuring parking spaces are used fairly and safely.
The police will retain powers to enforce dangerous or obstructive parking, parking on pedestrian crossings and zig-zag lines and moving traffic offences such as speeding or driving through 'no entry' zones.
The legal designation for the Civil Enforcement and Special Enforcement Areas take effect on 28 July 2025, with an initial period of warning notices issued on-street commencing in August.
Executive Councillor for Parks and Countryside, Waste and Street Scene, Cllr Julie Kerr, said: “This is a milestone for Huntingdonshire and a positive outcome following the collaborative efforts of Cambridgeshire County Council and HDC. We believe providing local enforcement to support the restrictions in place will enable us to effectively keep our streets safer and less congested for our residents and local businesses.”
Councillor Robin Wyatt, vice-chair of the Highways and Transport Committee at Cambridgeshire County Council said: “This decision is great news. We supported Huntingdonshire’s application because Civil Parking Enforcement will enable the district to move away from reliance on the police and deal with inconsiderate and unsafe parking. With enforcement due to come into effect soon, don’t forget to always consider the lines and signs around you whenever you are parking.”
For more details, please visit our Civil Parking Enforcement FAQs.