A NEW parking enforcement scheme has come under fire from residents and traders, who have branded it "ineffective".

Stroud District Council took over responsibility for enforcing car parking across the area, including in Berkeley, Cam, Dursley and Wotton-under-Edge, in November.

The authority has employed three parking attendants to cover the district, with responsibility for monitoring more than 500 streets with parking restrictions.

However, residents and traders say there has been little improvement, with the attendants scarcely seen.

So far 135 parking tickets have been issued in the whole of the Stroud district, but only six in Dursley, one in Wotton, one in Cam and no tickets have been handed out in Berkeley.

Janet Buffrey, of Dursley, said: "I have not noticed any difference. Cars still park wherever they like in Silver Street and Long Street.

"No one seems to get booked because there's no one here to book them. I haven't seen any wardens."

Paul Maddock, owner of the Filling Station in Silver Street, Dursley, added: "For the one day they are here it works, but then the rest of the time we don't see the wardens and people continue to park where they like. It hasn't been as effective as I thought it would be."

Gareth Kitchen, owner of Cookability in Wotton, added: "We have noticed that there are more spaces available in the high street when the new wardens are around.

"However, visits by SDC are much less frequent than when the police were proactively enforcing the parking a few years ago.

"So, if SDC are genuinely committed to addressing the parking issues in Wotton there is plenty of room for improvement, I think."

Paul Helbrow, community safety manager for Stroud District Council, said: "The feedback we've had from officers has been that just by having a presence is having the desired effect on motorists.

"By law every street with parking regulations has to be visited every six months and at the moment we have an emphasis on Stroud and the other main market towns in the district.

"We are still putting together a rota to ensure regular visits of all streets and with a focus on highlighted problem areas.

"Some people have expected that there would suddenly be no parking contraventions but there will always be some chancers."

The new car parking enforcement (CPE) means any motorist caught parking on a double-yellow line, in a disabled bay or residential parking space will face a £60 fine, which will be reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.