PARKING in Clydebank could be policed by council officers who want to enforce their own policies on the town’s drivers.

A feasibility study to determine the possibility of decriminalising parking across West Dunbartonshire will be carried out by the local authority.

Decriminalised parking enforcement is a regulatory regime which allows the council to enforce its own parking policies by using parking attendants either directly employed by the council or outsourced to a third party on their behalf.

Council bosses were looking at the state of Dumbarton town centre but decided to carry out a study across the local authority on decriminalisation.

West Dunbartonshire Council wants to manage the provision of car parking to improve access to town centre businesses and facilities, support the economy and reduce frustration for visitors.

Read more: Parking on pavement ban to be introduced in Scotland

The issue was discussed at the infrastructure, regeneration and economic development committee last week.

A council officer said: “

The report requests permission to develop a business case to look at the feasibility of applying for decriminalised parking enforcement powers and it also notes the progress of the Transport Bill.”

Councillor Diane Docherty raised the issue of parking on pavements.

She said: “As someone that is a support worker and has worked for a long time with wheelchair users, I find it quite staggering the ignorance of people that park on pavements.

"There are many people that are able to park somewhere else and walk but take up a whole pavement or half of a pavement so I am really happy to support this and educate people on how that interferes with the day to day lives of people that are wheelchair users.”

A fresh report will be brought back to committee.