Monitoring of parking has been in a state of limbo for many months and this seems to have had a knock on effect with increased problems with parking not being attended to.

A delay of at least two months in improving parking across Derbyshire is being blamed on the Government. Derbyshire County Council was ready to take over responsibility for parking enforcement on 24 November.

But the county council was informed suddenly by the Government Department for Transport that they had been unable to process the application.

Derbyshire County Council’s cabinet member for environmental services Councillor Brian Lucas said: “It is totally unacceptable for us to be told this at the last minute and we shall be taking it up with the Government Department for Transport.

“We haven’t yet been given a new date for us to take over this important job and we have not been told why it has been held up. This set back has caused difficulties for us and our partners.” It is now expected to be the New Year before parking enforcement powers will transfer from the police to the county council, working in partnership with the district and borough councils.

The council will appoint a contractor to patrol the county’s streets and car parks, doing the work previously carried out by the police.