Agenda Item No. 8(d)
THE VALE OF GLAMORGAN COUNCIL
COUNCIL MEETING: 18 JULY 2018
REFERENCE FROM CABINET: 2 JULY 2018
C354 Draft Parking Strategy Report (NST) (SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – ENVIRONMENT AND REGENERATION AND CORPORATE PERFORMANCE AND RESOURCES) –
Cabinet was advised of the Draft Vale of Glamorgan Parking Strategy Report prepared by consultants and to determine consultation and engagement arrangements for consideration of its content.
Capita was appointed by the Council in autumn 2017 to assist with the preparation of a Draft Parking Strategy for the Vale of Glamorgan. Capita had undertaken previous parking studies for the Council. In 2013 (updated in 2015) Capita produced a report in respect of proposals for off street and on street parking charges in Barry and Cowbridge. In addition, Capita prepared parking reports relating to Country Parks parking charges in 2016 and Leisure centre parking charges in 2017. None of the recommendations within these reports had been implemented by the Council.
A Project Board consisting of the relevant Cabinet Members and Senior Council Officers was set up to provide direction to the commission. The broad principles of the commission set by the Council's Parking Board included:
• To realise the maximum levels of income without reducing visitor or user numbers or detrimentally affecting the local economy.
• Arrangements should be sustainable and able to be changed quickly should this be necessary.
• Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology should be used where cost effective and possible, so that there is a consistent charging arrangement throughout the Vale area.
• Car parks should be designed / adapted so as to provide the maximum number of spaces over any given area.
• Consideration should be given to free periods of parking of no more than 2 hours.
• Research should be undertaken on the legalities as to how any income from 'off-street' and 'on-street' parking revenue and fines can be spent.
• The standard of appropriate car parks are to be improved if necessary utilising a proportion of the income received.
• Cashless systems (voucher) should be considered for 'on-street' parking in certain areas (Barry Island and Penarth), with rates consistent with off-street parking options nearby.
• There should be consideration given to the introduction of an annual season ticket which could give access to certain Vale chargeable car parks.
• The use of traffic regulation orders to control certain smaller car parks should be considered should the introduction of ANPR at these car parks be found not to be cost effective.
• A review should be undertaken of civil parking enforcement and cash handling arrangements as part of this project, to establish safe and secure methods of cash collection and to maximise the effectiveness of any enforcement activities.
• Technology that shows the amount of parking spaces available should be considered and whether such technology could be linked to apps, social media or variable message signs so that drivers could be made aware of available spaces remote to the parking location in real time.
The Council had to make £17m of savings over the next 3 years with the Neighbourhood Services and Transport Division having to make £827k in 2018/19 alone. The maintenance and regulation of parking spaces costs £360k per annum. This included car parks at Barry Island and Ogmore which the Council currently charge for. There was a need to recoup this cost and to seek additional income that could then enable reinvestment in the fabric of the car parks and assist other services the Council provides to continue; including investment in town centres, infrastructure and the country parks.
A parking strategy could also strengthen economic and regeneration opportunities by introducing improved more efficient car park management and this could improve user experience and access to services.
Attached at Appendix A to the report was the Draft Parking Strategy prepared for the Council by Capita (June 2018). The Draft Strategy had examined the following areas:
Town Centre Car Parks;
Coastal Car Parks;
Country Parks Car Parks;
On Street Car Parking in Town Centres and Coastal areas and
Enforcement and Infrastructure options.
At the meeting the Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport explained that due to the summer recess for many Town and Community Councils their time to consider the contents of the Consultant’s report could be limited if the council were to wait until after both Scrutiny Committees had met before circulating the report for wider consultation, as suggested in the report.
As the consultation arrangements for Town and Community Councils would involve them responding in writing to the Capita report, which was now a public document and would not be subject to change, he proposed to make a slight amendment to the recommendations by adding a further 2 recommendations at 4 and 7 below to formally release the Capita report to Town and Community Councils now requesting that they give the report their consideration following this meeting. This would not unduly affect the Scrutiny Committees’ ability to consider the consultation strategy at their meetings in July 2018.
The Deputy Leader offered the opportunity for Councillor K Mahoney (who had made representation to speak on this matter) to speak after the Cabinet meeting had closed, however he declined and left the room.
This was a matter for Executive decision
Cabinet, having considered the report and all the issues and implications contained therein
RESOLVED –
(1) ..........
(2) ..........
(3) ..........
(4) T H A T Town and Community Councils be requested to give consideration to the contents of the Capita report immediately following this meeting.
(5) ..........
(6) ..........
(7) T H A T for resolution 4 above, the use of section 14.14 of the Council’s Constitution (urgent decision procedure) be authorised.
Reasons for decisions
(1) ..........
(2) ..........
(3) ..........
(4) To provide Town and Community Councils more time to comment on the Draft Parking Strategy Report.
(5) ..........
(6) ..........
(7) To ensure that Town and Community Councils have the maximum amount of time to consider the Draft Parking Strategy Report.