Local authority news Birmingham intervention Commissioners have been appointed at Birmingham City Council to tackle its financial and governance problems, after a five-year intervention was confirmed by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove last month. The team of six commissioners, led by Max Caller CBE, an experienced local government professional and former commissioner, will be able to provide advice and challenge the council, while making decisions directly if necessary. Parking permit for carers A new free Care at Home permit has been launched in the London Borough of Haringey so carers can visit residents without having to pay for a parking permit. Residents helped to develop the application process, which makes it simple for them to apply and removes the need for additional assessments or intrusive questions. The permit will last for three years. Newcastle goes cashless Newcastle City Council is switching to cashless payments only in all council-run car parks and onstreet parking locations following a consultation earlier this year. The changes are being brought in on a phased basis as ticket machines are upgraded, and will help to make the citys parking service more efficient and cost-effective. Extra support for people who need help to pay for parking using a card, by telephone, or using a mobile phone app is being offered. Charging network grows North Northamptonshire Council has installed 32 more electric vehicle chargepoints across 17 sites as part of an ongoing project to provide on-street public chargers for residents without driveways or off-road parking. The chargepoints will go live in the next few weeks. 14 NEPP takes action against persistent evaders On 21 September, North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) civil enforcement officers (CEOs), in partnership with the police and enforcement agents, carried out a successful day of action in Colchester to tackle persistent evaders who regularly park illegally in the city centre. The officers received full payment for nine warrants of control for unpaid penalty charge notices (PCNs), totalling 915.75. NEPP CEOs also issued 35 PCNs to drivers flouting parking restrictions, and engaged with the public, who expressed safety concerns about food delivery couriers parking on the high street. Cllr Daniel Land, NEPP chair, said: We are pleased with the results of our day of action, and will continue to take action against those who deliberately choose to ignore the parking rules. Parking restrictions are in place for a reason, and it is important that everyone complies with them. This is about targeting the right people and making our city centre and highways safer for all. NEPP is planning future days of action across North Essex. NEPP now has five fully electric vehicles, with eight more ordered and on the way. It is committed to making its fleet of vehicles fully sustainable by 2030. More parking for bikes and scooters Westminster City Council has launched a network of parking bays for cyclists who use hire e-bikes. Riders will now have to park their bikes in the designated bays to end their journeys, or they could face fines, and even a ban. As part of an 18-month trial, the council has extended a number of bays designated for e-scooters, and has repurposed underused car parking spaces and yellow-lined areas into e-bike bays. In addition to the 200 physical parking bays, more than 100 geofenced virtual bays have been created at under-used bike stands. The aim of the scheme is to remove badly parked bikes from the pavement, ensuring they are parked safely and not blocking pavements for pedestrians. Teams of rangers, employed by the operators, will patrol the bays and streets to make sure e-bikes are parked properly and to move any that block the pavement. On-demand, secure cycle parking hubs are available in Glasgow city centre. Twelve of the hubs feature the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) rainbow stripes, to mark Glasgow hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships. A further eight, without UCI branding, are also available. Similar hubs in residential areas (205, providing 1,230 spaces) have already proven successful.