Kerbside and bay parking advice

If all motorists complied with the parking restrictions, Shropshire's highways would be less congested and would benefit all users. The aim of the information on this page is to explain how parking enforcement works, how to park sensibly and correctly and avoid getting a parking ticket.

Anyone who drives in Shropshire knows of the problems caused by an irresponsible motorist parked in the wrong place. The majority of motorists use car parks and parking spaces correctly, but a vehicle parked incorrectly on a street can not only be dangerous but can cause delays, queues and inconvenience for other road users. We're responsible for managing parking in the county and making sure that Shropshire ‘keeps moving’.

What does this mean?

We directly employ and manage a team of civil enforcement officers (CEOs).

The CEOs work to very strict guidelines when issuing penalty charge notices (PCNs). CEOs aren't paid on the basis of the number of PCNs they issue, nor do we have a target for the number of PCNs issued.

How does parking enforcement benefit you?

  • It reduces congestion on Shropshire’s roads and in our town centres

  • It makes it safer for drivers and pedestrians

  • It reduces blocking of bus lanes and major traffic routes by inconsiderately parked vehicles

  • It reduces parking by non-permit holders in residents’ parking bays

  • It reduces parking by non-blue badge holders in disabled parking bays

  • It encourages correct, sensible and safe parking

  • It helps the emergency services gain access to incidents across the county

  • It enables buses to operate more effectively

  • It improves air quality, health and the general environment

  • It keeps Shropshire moving

What else do you need to know?

  • Observation periods carried out by CEOs will be used to identify whether vehicles parked on yellow lines are loading or unloading

  • Some other contraventions, eg parking in a bus stop, attract instant PCNs

  • We allow a grace period of 15 minutes for a motorist to purchase a ticket on paid-for parking places, so if you only need to park for 15 minutes, you don't need to buy a ticket. In all other situations, you must purchase a pay and display ticket to cover the whole period that you wish to park

  • Where needed, your pay and display ticket should be clearly displayed in your vehicle windscreen so that the CEO can see it easily

  • CEOs can inspect blue badges so we can ensure that they're valid and not being misused

  • Particular care should be exercised when parking in residents’ permit bays or pay and display bays, as it's not unusual to find residents’ bays and pay and display bays in the same street

What does loading / unloading mean?

While parking regulations generally allow you to load or unload for as long as it takes, the size or nature of the items being loaded or unloaded must make the use of the vehicle necessary, and you must move your vehicle immediately after you've finished. Loading or unloading must be a continuous activity - it doesn't include stopping for a cup of tea, but it can include checking stock and getting an invoice or delivery note signed.

You can load/unload:

  • Within dedicated bays
  • On single or double yellow lines provided no loading restriction is in force – these are identified by markings on the pavement. Please see the glovebox guide for further information

You mustn't load/unload:

  • On zig-zags at either end of a pedestrian crossing
  • During the hours of a loading restriction
  • Where signs state ‘no stopping’
  • In bays dedicated for specific users

To summarise, loading/unloading:

  • Must be CONTINUOUS - ie moving goods to or from a vehicle without significant interruption. CEOs will observe vehicles for a period of time to establish if loading or unloading is taking place and may issue a PCN if no activity is seen
  • The goods or items must be HEAVY OR BULKY and something that most people would find difficult to carry any distance. For example, a large TV would be considered bulky, or a large bag full of food shopping would be considered heavy. The value of the goods has no bearing on this and therefore a visit to the bank or cash point wouldn't be considered acceptable unless it was a heavy amount of coinage
  • The vehicle must be parked ADJACENT to the location from which the loading or unloading is taking place
  • The parking of the vehicle should be REASONABLE - it shouldn't cause an obstruction to someone else’s access for instance, or park on a yellow line restriction when there is an empty parking or loading bay within a short distance
  • the process should be TIMELY - it shouldn't take longer than is necessary to complete the loading/unloading process