A NEW team of “superwardens” could soon be patrolling the streets.

West Oxfordshire District Council wants to create six new community warden roles as part of its proposal to take over all parking enforcement in the area.

The new community wardens will not only have the power to hand out fixed penalty notices for parking offences, but will also enforce various “environmental infringements”.

David Harvey, cabinet member for the environment, said: “We don’t want to go down the same route Oxford City Council have gone down, where they have police officers, PCSOs, traffic wardens, litter wardens, dog wardens.

“All you end up with are lots of people in uniforms all over the streets. We think there is a much simpler way of doing it.”

Council leader Barry Norton said the responsibilities of the new role were yet to be finalised, but added: “We won’t have bespoke departments. These people will be able to deal with things from environmental crimes, to fly posting, littering and fly-tipping.

“I don’t think that we will be saying to them ‘you have got a remit to do this.’”

“If they are out and about and they come across something, then they will be able to deal with it without having to go and speak to another department.

“It’s not just Witney – these super wardens will be out in the district helping to keep it clean and tidy and tackling all sorts of problems.

“Parking enforcement will just be one of their tasks.”

The council leader said he thought the new roles would also help to save taxpayers’ money.

It is thought the two parking wardens currently employed by Thames Valley Police in the district will join the two council staff who currently patrol west Oxfordshire’s 15 car parks.

With the Marriotts Close development set to increase the amount of parking in west Oxfordshire, it is hoped that a further two roles will be created on top of this.

Mr Norton added: “Our aim isn’t to hand out more parking tickets, but to improve the standard of on-street and off-street parking in west Oxfordshire.”

As well as the introduction of the new community wardens to achieve this, the district council is also hoping to spend more than £130,000 on digital signs as part of its civil parking measures.

These new signs would alert drivers to any possible delays on the road, help people find parking spaces and — hopefully — reduce traffic congestion.

Mr Harvey said: “What we want to avoid is people crossing from one car park to another in search of a space.

“We think these signs will help to do this by giving drivers more information as they approach towns for them to act on.

“It is very important for all residents in west Oxfordshire that we proceed with civil parking measures as this will enable us to have far greater control of this vital aspect of traffic management.”

Mr Harvey also repeated the council’s commitment to providing free car parking in west Oxfordshire.

He said: “We have vibrant market towns in our area and we want to keep them like that, especially during the current economic climate.”

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk