PARKING enforcement in Dorset could be set for a major shake-up.

Plans are being drawn up that would bring on-street and off-street parking together under a single service model, with one team responsible.

The move was revealed at a meeting of the Dorchester BID (Business Improvement District) by head of parking services at West Dorset District Council Chris Graves, who said he had been asked by the leaders and chief executives of seven councils to draw up a business plan for the proposal.

He said that if it is approved by all the relevant councils then the new system could come into effect in April.

At the meeting Mr Graves also told traders that pay on exit parking would be operational in all Dorchester car parks in around four weeks’ time.

Parking enforcement is currently split in many parts of Dorset, with district or borough councils administering off-street parking and Dorset County Council responsible for on-street parking.

Mr Graves said that discussions had been going on for around two years to look at the single service model, which will be administered by two teams – one in the east of the county and one in the west of the county hosted by Weymouth and Portland Borough Council and West Dorset District Council – while all back office functions would be shared.

He said: “It’s a significant conversation that’s been had over the last two years but we are almost there.”

In terms of pay on exit parking, Dorchester has been waiting for a trial scheme at Wollaston Road that had been promised in the summer but was delayed for a range of reasons.

Mr Graves said now things were moving forward at pace and instead of a trial the whole of Dorchester would move to pay on exit parking in around four weeks and it would eventually be rolled out to the rest of West Dorset.

The first phase would see a basic system installed where people pay when they return to their vehicles and a second element would come into effect at a later date where people can set up an online account and will never have to go near a ticket machine.

Mr Graves said he hoped the system would make parking fines and thing of the past in the county town.

He said: “Nobody should be getting, in the 21st century, a parking fine for being late back to their car.”