Under-threat community wardens in Angus have dished out more than 27,500 parking tickets in the past six years – but just two littering fines.
And Freedom of Information data has revealed less than 70 dog poo penalties have been issued since 2018.
The figures emerged as the council considers plans to axe a third of its wardens in a bid to save £175,000 a year.
Staff and trade unions are being consulted on the proposal to reduce the team from 12 to eight.
An Arbroath base would be shut in favour of a single hub in Forfar.
Range of responsibilities
Wardens can issue penalty charge notices (PCNs) for parking, dog fouling and littering.
They also tackle anti-social behaviour on patrols in local towns and villages.
Additional responsibilities are also about to fall on the authority with the introduction of the pavement parking ban.
It came into force in December and some Scots councils are already issuing tickets.
Angus is still working through its processes to introduce the new rules.
But it has agreed a list of streets which will be exempt from the clampdown.
What the FOI data revealed
On-street parking
In the past six years more than 23,000 on-street parking fines have been issued.
Offences include parking on single or double yellow lines and staying more than an hour in time-limited zones.
Arbroath is the Angus hotspot, accounting for 7,176 of the district-wide total.
And you are much less likely to see a warden on village streets.
Since 2018, just 63 on-street offences have been recorded.
Off-street parking
The FOI data for off-street parking shows a clear dip in penalty notices after the pandemic struck.
Car parking charges were suspended in 2020 when Covid struck.
It was just two years after their controversial re-introduction across Angus after more than 20 years.
Wardens continue to monitor the county’s off-street car parks and just over 500 PCNs were issued last year.
The council decided not to bring back parking charges in last year’s budget.
But the issue is certain to feature in discussions around 2024/25 spending plans as the authority deals with a £60m funding gap.
Dog fouling
Since 2018 a total of 67 dog fouling PCNs – costing the culprit £80 – have been handed out.
Councillors regularly report that piles of poo on pavements and in parks are among the most complained about issues in their area.
Arbroath topped the league for fouling fines at 21 since 2018.
And there has been just one penalty issued outwith the seven burghs in that time.
Litter
Between 2018 and the end of 2023 just two litter fines were issued across the whole of Angus.
Both were in Arbroath – one in 2018 and one in 2019.
The council emphasised that “primacy for littering enforcement sits with waste services who undertake littering patrols.”
But while community wardens do not carry out specific littering patrols they have the power to issue FPNs for offences their encounter during their day-to-day role.
‘Anything goes’
North-east Scottish Conservative MSP Maurice Golden criticised the plan to cut the squad.
“I’m sure no one likes getting a parking ticket but enforcement is a proven deterrent against flouting the rules,” he said.
“But those rules need to be seen to be applied to dog fouling, littering and other blights on our streets.
“This gives irresponsible people the impression that anything goes.
“The extremely low penalty rates suggest wardens should be getting more support to challenge antisocial behaviour – not cut to shreds by the SNP-run council.”
Conversation