Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Planning Services updating Members on the development of the Car Parking Strategy Action Plan and revised parking charges.

(Councillor P L E Bucknell, Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy, Environment and Transport was in attendance for this Item). 

Following an introduction by the Executive Councillor for Planning Strategy, Environment and Transport and Head of Planning Services, consideration was given to a report by the latter (a copy of which is appended in the Minute Book) to which was attached a proposed Car Parking Strategy Action Plan which had addressed the recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Panel (Service Support) and Cabinet at their meetings held on 9^th October and 18^th October 2007 respectively.

Further to Minute No. 07/37, the Chairman reminded Members that they had considered the original draft action plan at the Panel’s October 2007 meeting and had submitted a number of proposals to Cabinet.  Arising from those recommendations, Members were informed that a public consultation exercise had been carried out by the Working Party during November and December to obtain the views of relevant stakeholders.

Councillor Bucknell advised that thorough consideration had been given to the recommendations made by the Panel.  On the basis of the evidence available and in the light of the consultation exercise, the Working Party had felt that the action plan was robust but nevertheless needed to be reviewed in 18 months, given the rapidly changing circumstances in various parts of the District.

The Chairman expressed disappointment, on behalf of the Panel, that of the recommendations made by the Panel and Cabinet, only one appeared to have been accepted by the Working Party to extend the long-stay period in car parks from 9 hours to 10 before the charge was increased to defer commuters.

Having reviewed in detail the content of the draft Action Plan, Members questioned whether the consultation exercise involving stakeholders from 200 local groups and organisations had been sufficiently broad. The Panel expressed particular disappointment that its recommendation for a higher incentive than the proposed 25% reduction in the cost of a car parking season ticket for drivers with vehicles of low CO₂ emissions had not been accepted. As a result, Members did not feel that the action plan was sufficiently ambitious to produce a noticeable impact in encouraging motorists to consider a low emission vehicle when next purchasing a car.

Notwithstanding the Working Party’s view that income generated by increasing car parking charges should not be ring-fenced in view of the Council’s existing spending on transport, the Panel felt that the wording of the existing car parking strategy should be reinforced to ensure that any surplus income be used to encourage integrated, sustainable and accessible transport.

Having thanked the Executive Councillor, Officers and Members of the Working Party for their work in producing the car parking strategy action plan, the Panel acknowledged that in order to progress the matter, the action plan should be implemented but reviewed with immediate effect after its introduction. 

RESOLVED

  that Cabinet be informed of the Panel’s views on the proposed car parking action plan as follows:-

  (a)  that the Panel have no objection to the implementation of the action plan to enable changes to car parking charges in Huntingdonshire to be implemented;

  (b)  the Panel’s disappointment over the Working Party’s retention of a 25% reduction in season ticket charges for low emission vehicles and its serious reservation that this will not have a significant impact in persuading motorists to choose vehicles with low emissions in the future;

  (c)  that any surplus income generated through increased car parking charges be spent in accordance with the current strategy;

  (d)  the Panel recommend that a further review of the car parking strategy be commenced immediately after the existing changes have been implemented to address in particular the more environmentally sensitive use of the car.