Members are asked to scrutinise the proposed process and timeline for the development of the Babergh and Mid Suffolk Joint Parking Strategy.
Councillor Elisabeth Malvisi - Babergh Cabinet Member for Environment
Councillor Jessica Fleming – Mid Suffolk Cabinet Member for Environment
Minutes:
71.1 The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships introduce paper JOS/21/3 and informed Members that the timeline had changed, as an external consultant for parking surveys had been engaged. The pre-consultation period would now be concluded in the summer 2022 rather than December 2022.
71.2 Councillor Welham enquired whether the timeline for Cabinet and Council could be altered due to the governance process. The Assistant Director responded that the resources were in place to accommodate this new timeline.
71.3 Councillor Muller pointed to the issues around parking on pavements and future government legislation.
71.4 Councillor Ekpenyong was concerned how this exercise would address the issues for parking on pavements, as this was for Suffolk Highways Authority. He stated that there was an increasing demand for residential parking permits. He also thought that the final drafting and cabinet decision timeline of six months was a long time.
71.5 In response to Councillor Maybury’s questions the Assistant Director for Environment and Commercial Partnerships clarified that the Joint Area Parking Plan was the background of the report and that the Joint Area Parking Management Plan was the strategy. She also explained that on-street parking was outside the Councils’ responsibilities. She hoped that the consultation would provide feedback from residents.
71.6 Councillor Welham queried how the strategy would be planned.
71.7 The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships responded that the strategy would be short, and that data would be available for residents and specific details would be provided for each place. She thought that a review of specifically towns in the districts was due by SCC and would like to see this conducted during this review.
71.8 The Chair then read out questions receive from Councillor Grandon:
“I did not see community groups specifically mentioned in the paper – and I need to ensure that there is specific provision made for such groups when the new parking regime enters in to force. A lot of community groups in Hadleigh use the car parks to attend their community meetings, for example, groups associated with dementia and their careers. Some of these meetings last almost all day and take place currently (pre-covid) at the Hadleigh Leisure Centre and Ansell Centre. Currently, one of these groups already has an arrangement with Babergh that they can display special tickets in their window to extend free parking beyond three hours without incurring a fine and I have lodged a request with another group to do the same. Such groups need to be specifically catered for in the future and needs to be considered in the paper.
Second, it was agreed that charging would only be introduced 1st October at the earliest. What are going to be the ‘trigger points’ for the start date and will there be an economic and other test?
71.9 The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial Partnerships welcomed the work and assured Members that the Councils were liaising with community groups to ensure that this kind of work was ongoing in the community. Cabinet would make the decision on the short-term Parking charges in Babergh introduced in Babergh and it would be no sooner than October.
71.10 Councillor Dawson queried the outsourcing of the parking survey and why the Councils did not have the expertise for this.
71.11 The Assistant Director – Environment and Commercial partnerships explained that only West Suffolk Council (WSC) had officers with the expertise to undertake a parking survey and that this cost incurred for using consultants outweighed the cost for engaging WSC. The outsource costs would be approximately £35K, however the quality of the survey would be better.
71.12 Councillor Barrett recommended that the completion date for the Joint Parking Strategy to be June 2022.
71.13 Councillor Maybury referred to electrical charging points in paragraph 11.2, and was concerned that there was not enough power supply in the villages. She asked that a list of consultees was included in the policy.
71.14 Councillors Muller, Scarff, Carter and McLaren each provided further requests to be included in the Strategy:
Parking permits schemes in urban areas and the implications of the residents parking scheme.
Parking for vehicles for the disabled.
Park and ride facilities
Carparking for centres where satellite care was taking place
Hospital and health and social care centre car parks
71.15 Councillor McLaren felt the low risk attached to influencing motorist’s behaviour in relation to parking was unrealistic given the public’s response during the pandemic around tourist areas especially Shotley Peninsula and after Alton Water’s increased oof parking charges.
71.16 Councillor Gould disagreed and felt that motorist behaviour could be influenced and changed.
71.17 Members debated the issues including emergency services, pavement parking, on- street parking in town centres, carpooling, park and ride/walking/cycling, management of climate change, car park maintenance and the urgent need for resident car parking permit.
71.18 The Chair read out possible wording for the recommendations, which was proposed by Councillor Ekpenyong and seconded by Councillor Muller.
NOTE: Councillor Simon Barrett and Councillor Sîan Dawson left the meeting at 1:13 pm
71.19 Councillor Scarff proposed an additional recommendation,that the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee recognised that there was an urgent need for a resolution to resident parking permit scheme’s issues within both Districts and in doing so recognised that both Districts would have to consider potential financial commitments to such a scheme and that work on this subject must be carried out within the Joint Parking Strategy.
71.20 Councillor Ekpenyong and Councillor Muller agreed the additional recommendation.
By 9 votes for
1.1 That the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted the contents of report JOS/21/3.
1.2 That the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee noted that, by employing consultants to carry out some of the identified tasks, the timeline can be amended, and requested that the final report be presented to Cabinet in June 2022.
1.3 That the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee recommended that the following should be added to the list of stakeholders in paragraph 4.6:
· Voluntary groups
· Emergency services
· Electricity supply companies and EV charging providers.
And that the following topics should be considered:
· Pavement parking
· Town centre on-street parking
· Impact of car park maintenance and management on climate change
· Park and ride, park and walk, park and cycle
· Hospital and health and social care centre car parks
· Car pooling
· Opportunities for using the strategy to encourage walking, cycling and public transport
1.4 That the Joint Overview and Scrutiny Committee recognised that there was an urgent need for a resolution to resident parking permit scheme’s issues within both Districts and in doing so recognised that both Districts would have to consider potential financial commitments to such a scheme.
1.5 That work on this subject must be carried out within the Joint Parking Strategy.
Supporting documents: