A MAYOR has labelled Dorset County Council as “absolutely diabolical” after it was revealed the amount of traffic patrols in Lyme Regis has dropped to 38 percent of the level it was in the space of three years.

A Freedom of Information request by the Bridport & Lyme Regis News found that the county council’s parking patrols in the town dropped from 2,140 in 2013, to 1,762 to 2014 to just 803 patrols last year.

During 2013, the county council issued 501 parking penalty charge notices (PCN) or which 437 were paid. The number of PCNs issued dropped to 368 in 2014, with 324 paid to 265 last year, including 230 that were paid.

In particular, concerns have been raised about parking enforcement on Broad Street. Statistics show that 208 PCNs were issued for offences on Broad Street in 2013, 151 in 2015 and just 77 last year.

Cllr Owen Lovell, mayor of Lyme Regis, said: “Dorset County Council is determined to retain a monopoly on on-street parking enforcement to the detriment of the Lyme Regis traffic management. Their lackadaisical attention to enforcement in Broad Street does nothing to assist with traffic management at all times of the year. This mantra does seem dog in a manger, given our distance from Dorchester and the infrequency of the visits they make to Lyme Regis - plus a growing sense of frustration in those areas where residents parking is in force with the infrequency of enforcement visits.”

Town councillors last week discussed a leaflet by the county council which shows highways jobs which it will no longer be able to maintain at the current level.

In a report to councillors, town clerk John Wright, said: “The leaflet identified three options for the future delivery of non-essential functions: use of volunteers, parish/town councils using a suitably qualified contractor or in-house workforce, Dorset Highways carry out works paid for by the parish/town council.”

Cllr Lovell described the county council’s approach to Lyme Regis as “absolutely diabolical”.

He added: “I think we need to be in a position to identify what these costs are if the county council are not going to provide.”

Karen Young, Dorset County Council parking services team leader, said: “Enforcement patrols are regularly reviewed following any demands from the police, local councils and residents, which would then see an increase in patrols in the area deemed to have a parking issue but would be balanced out where compliance has improved in other areas of Dorset.

"We have not been made aware of any issues regarding the number of patrols for Lyme Regis the moment, and obviously if any issues are raised we will look into changing our patrols accordingly.”