Issue - meetings

The purpose of this report is to provide an update on the progress made on the delivery of Civil Parking Enforcement within Huntingdonshire.

Executive Portfolio:  Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene

The Cabinet has

a)  noted the work undertaken to date and the preparedness of HDC and CCC to apply for Decriminalisation of Parking in Huntingdonshire against the previously approved timescales;

b)  noted the new expected go live date as determined by the Department for Transport’s capacity constraints outside of the control of both CCC and HDC;

c)  endorsed the proposal set out in Section 4.4 of the report now submitted for ‘Go Live & Warning Notice Approach’;

d)  endorsed the proposal set out in Section 4.5 of the report now submitted for ‘CPE Stakeholder Briefing & Update Approach’; and

e)  endorsed the signing of the PATROL agreement as set out in Section 4.6 of the report now submitted by the Assistant Director (Strategic Insight & Delivery).

The Cabinet considered a report from the Assistant Director (Strategic Insight and Delivery) (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) providing an update in relation to the delivery timescales of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) within Huntingdonshire and appraisal of the approach prior to “go live” including both “Stakeholder” briefings and updates.

The Executive Councillor for Leisure, Waste and Street Scene reported that CPE was the outcome of a process that decriminalised a number of on-street parking offences enabling them to be enforced as a civil matter by a Local Authority. Which denoted a substantial modification to the existing situation whereby these offences may only be enforced by the Police and until the transition to Civil Parking Enforcement takes effect, the enforcement of on-street parking matters will remain a function of the Police as the District Council are not able to support enforcement due to legislative restrictions.

The Cabinet noted that the process being undertaken will see the establishment of a Civil Enforcement Area (CEA) in Huntingdonshire.  This is a statutory process that will see the Highways Authority (Cambridgeshire County Council) make an application to the Department for Transport (DfT) for the CEA. Following a DfT review, the application will then be laid before Parliament for approval.

The District Council will then undertake the ongoing on-street enforcement of Civil Parking including charge notice progression. The annual anticipated budget deficit  created by the operation of Civil Parking is within the Council’s Medium Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) and takes into consideration a number of changes including an increased number of enforcement staff and the on-street remedial works costs required to uplift the current standard of ‘signs and lines’ associated with on-street parking restrictions.

It was noted that Cambridgeshire County Council will retain all other responsibilities as the Highways Authority. As such, responsibility for new on-street parking restrictions and scheme implementations, as well as the ongoing maintenance of ‘sign and lines’ when the operation of Civil Parking Enforcement commences.  Whilst the Police will still retain enforcement powers for dangerous and obstructive parking, vehicles parked on pedestrian crossings and zig zag lines and moving traffic offences.

Following deliberation, the Cabinet

RESOLVED

a)  that the work undertaken to date and the preparedness of HDC and CCC to apply for Decriminalisation of Parking in Huntingdonshire against the previously approved timescales be noted;

b)  that the new expected go live date as determined by the Department for Transport’s capacity constraints outside of the control of both CCC and HDC be noted;

c)  that the proposal as set out in Section 4.4 of the report now submitted for ‘Go Live & Warning Notice Approach’ be approved;

d)  that the proposal as set out in Section 4.5 of the report now submitted for ‘CPE Stakeholder Briefing & Update Approach’ be approved; and

e)  that the signing of the PATROL agreement as set out in Section 4.6 of the report now submitted be approved.