Agenda item

The Property Development Manager will give the PDG a verbal update on the introduction of Civilian Parking Enforcement in Lincolnshire.                                             

The Property Development Manager gave members an update on the implementation of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE). Lincolnshire County Council had been advised by the Department for Transport that their application was currently projected for sign-off on 30 November 2012, meaning the first date from which powers could potentially be used was 1 December 2012.

The County Council was rationalising and consolidating its parking Orders into one Compliance Order; district councils were undergoing a similar process. No comments had been received of SKDC’s draft Orders, which were being presented to Council on 13 September 2012.

In preparation for implementation, Lincolnshire County Council had undertaken a procurement exercise to secure providers for enforcement and ticket processing. District councils were able to call-off services from those providers. Enforcement officers would not be subject to incentives or bonus payments based on the number of tickets issued. This was part of the contract with the provider and would remain in force for its duration (four years).

Enforcement officers would wear the insignia of the relevant enforcement authority, for example when enforcing on-street parking officers would wear Lincolnshire County Council’s logo and when enforcing off-street parking, they would wear SKDC’s logo. Tickets would also clearly indicate the enforcement authority.

The Council would receive cost-savings because current arrangements meant that SKDC paid enforcement officers as they travelled between car parks. As the same officers would be enforcing on-street parking for Lincolnshire County Council, enforcement officers’ time would be charged to them as soon as they left any of SKDC’s off-street parking. This would also mean the Council could optimise the use of hours bought from the provider.

Parking enforcement officers would be mobile and their movement would not be predictable so motorists could not predict when an enforcement officer might be in the area.

Councillors highlighted current difficulties enforcing parking and police jurisdiction. Lincolnshire Police would still have responsibility for enforcing moving traffic offences, of which obstruction was one. Councillors felt that under new arrangements the relevant enforcement agency should be clear to members of the public.

Further discussion ensued on residents’ parking schemes. Lincolnshire County Council had previously said that they would not progress any applications for residents’ parking schemes until all Parking Orders were consolidated. The district council would be the promoter and administrator for any scheme, which  would have to go through the county’s Road Traffic Regulation Order process before confirmation and implementation. As South Kesteven was the only district authority looking to introduce residents’ parking schemes, officers had worked with county to establish a turnaround time of approximately 29 weeks. Before the introduction of any scheme, on-street work would need undertaking together with a survey of residents in interested areas. A majority of residents would need to have to want a scheme and be prepared to pay the fee. Consultation with residents in Stamford had begun. Residents’ parking schemes could also be of benefit to some areas in Grantham. It was noted that a previous scheme in Grantham fell after its first year of operation.

In preparation for the introduction of CPE and to undertake some initial work on a residents’ parking scheme for Stamford, it was proposed that a firm should be commissioned to undertake on-street work (determining occupancy, turnover, capacity, potential displacement, etc). This was supported by the PDG. A similar piece of work would be required before the proposition of any schemes in Grantham.

Recommendation:

That £9,300 from the Communities PDG support budget be used to commission on-street research work in preparation for proposing residents parking schemes for Stamford.