North Somerset Council’s plan to put traffic wardens back on our streets and take over parking enforcement this month has been delayed.

The council needs Government approval to proceed with the scheme and this has not yet been confirmed, which means the plan is delayed for now.

Local councillor Mike Bell said: “This delay is really disappointing. The proposals for this were first put forward back in 2007 by the then Liberal Democrat administration, and here we are nearly a decade later still waiting.

“Residents in the town centre know that parking is a mess at the moment. People living in the pay and display zone must unfairly pay to park outside their own homes.

“At the same time, illegal and dangerous parking elsewhere seems to continue unchecked as the council does not have the power, and the police don’t have the resources, to do anything about it.”

Councillor Robert Payne added: “What I find most worrying is the piecemeal way the council seems to be approaching this issue. It doesn’t feel as if there is a coherent plan for parking and transport in the town centre and we so clearly need one.”