Agenda and draft minutes

1.1             There were no declarations made by Councillors.

2.1               None received.

To consider questions from and provide answer to members of the public on any matter in relation to which the Committee has powers or duties and of which due notice has been given in accordance with the Committee and Sub-Committee Procedure Rules.

3.1               None received.

To consider questions from and provide answer to Councillors on any matter in relation to which the Committee has powers or duties and of which due notice has been given in accordance with the Committee and Sub-Committee Procedure Rules.

4.1               None received.

Members are asked to scrutinise the Town Centre Parking proposal (paper BCa/20/24)

Cabinet Member for Environment

Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships

5.1            Councillor McCraw made the Committee aware of the decision process for this item and asked for Members to remain apolitical.

5.2            Councillor Malvisi introduced the report and stated that the report would be amended to take into account comments from this Overview and Scrutiny meeting and the debate on the petition at Council on 19 January 2021 before being taken to Cabinet in February.

5.3            Councillor Malvisi detailed the background for the report and explained that several car parks in Babergh were in need of repair to make them fit for purpose and that action plans were needed for bicycle parking and electric charging points.

5.4            The revised Car Parking Review would enable car parks in town centres to pay for upkeep of the car parking spaces and be financially viable for the future.

5.5            The Assistant Director - Environment & Commercial Partnerships detailed the main content of the report.  She explained how the Car Parking Survey in February 2020 had been conducted and how the observations were made for the use of car parks in Hadleigh and Sudbury. 

5.6            She stated that any changes should be based on strategic requirements and that parking tariffs were to be used as a tool to change parking behaviours to utilise the spaces available for parking in the town centres.  The survey had identified several aspects including the number of cars parking, for how long and if there was enough appropriate parking available.  However, a much wider strategic review would be needed but this survey was the first step.

5.7            Budgetary considerations had been included in the report and Option 2 was the preferred option. Currently the cost of maintaining and running the car parks was subsidised and the proposal endeavoured to cover the cost of the service and to reinvest into the service. An element of some of the income would be invested in sustainable travel.

5.8            The Chair thanked the Assistant Director and proposed possible areas of questioning to Members.

5.9            Councillor McLaren stated that the report was comprehensive, however, she felt that the subsidy of parking had been a major point for residents, and that the remainder of the report had been overlooked. She asked if this had been taken into consideration in preparing the report.  She also asked how long Babergh had been subsidising car parking in Sudbury.

5.10        The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships responded that the car parking service had always been subsidised and that the reaction to the subsidy issues had been anticipated but could not coherently be separated from the report.

5.11        Councillor Dawson asked why this report had been brought to Cabinet in January with little or no communication or consultation with Ward Members or other stakeholders.

5.12        The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships explained that it had been a corporate objective for some time to review the parking provision within the Babergh District and that the report had been in progress since February 2020 and should have been presented  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

Councillor John Ward – Cabinet Member for Finance

Assistant Director – Corporate Resources

6.1               Minutes to follow.

Proposer Councillor McCraw

Seconder Councillor Osborne

By 3 votes for, 1 vote against and 1 abstention.

It was RESOLVED: -

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee commends Recommendations 3.1 and 3.2 in the report to Cabinet, with the exception of any effects made in relation to the parking matter which has been debated at the meeting today.

Councillor Jan Osborne – Cabinet Member for Housing

Assistant Director - Housing

7.1               Minutes to follow.

Proposer Councillor Grandon

Seconder Councillor Dawson

By a unanimous vote

It was RESOLVED: -

That the Overview and Scrutiny Committee supports Recommendations 3.1 to 3.7 in the Report to Cabinet.

To review the Council’s Forthcoming Decisions List and identify any items to be brought before the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Please note the most up to date version can be found via the Website:

FORTHCOMING DECISIONS LIST

It was RESOLVED:-

That the Forthcoming Decisions List be noted.

To agree the Work Plan.

It was Resolved: -

That the Babergh Overview and Scrutiny Work Plan be noted.