Agenda item

CALL-IN: CAR PARKING CHARGES IN GRANTHAM AND STAMFORD

The following decision taken by the Cabinet on Monday 7th November has been the subject of a request for call-in by Councillors O’Hare, J. Hurst, Wilks, M. Williams and F. Hurst, in accordance with rule 16(c) of the Overview and Scrutiny Procedure Rules:

 

DECISION:

 

That the Cabinet:

 

1.                    Approves the tariffs proposed in Option 3 in report number DOS294 for implementation as of April 2006;

 

2.                    That fines for failure to display a valid ticket should be increased to  £60.00 (reduced to £30.00 if paid within 7 days);

 

3.                    That fines for parking for a longer period than paid for should be increased to £40.00 (reduced to £20.00 if paid within 7 days);

 

4.                    That the cost of season tickets should be increased in line with those presented in report number DOS294;

 

5.                    In light of representations received from members of the public, no charge will be introduced for parking on Sundays, bank holidays or evenings at this time;

 

6.                    Acknowledge the time taken by Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce in putting forward its own proposals for charges. Whilst it could not accept these because they did not comply with the Council’s policy of equalisation, the Cabinet considered that there was some merit in some of their suggestions and requested that the Management Accountant consider these aspects.

 

The reasons for exercising the call-in are:

 

1.                  Decision uses car parks as a means of making money for the Council rather than supporting the local economy.

2.                  The complete absence in the report of a survey of views from the public in Stamford.

3.                  That as 92% of the people surveyed in Grantham said cost was the most important factor, to raise costs further may be financially counterproductive.

4.                  That the overall level of increases in charges views car parks not as a service (which should at least break even) but mainly as a means of raising extra money.

5.                  Making best use of assets as a policy means giving enough weight to the fact that car parks are a public asset (service) and not just a financial asset.

Minutes:

This item was accepted as urgent business following the request for call-in of Cabinet Decision CO79 made on 7th November 2005.

 

The Scrutiny Officer advised the Panel that a request for call-in of Cabinet Decision CO79 had been received. The call-in request form had been signed by five members of the Council but the power to actually call-in a decision rested with the DSP. Upon hearing the reasons the request had been made, the Panel would be asked to consider whether to proceed. The Panel were reminded that they had previously considered the issue of car parking charges in Grantham and Stamford at a special meeting on 2nd November 2005. The Resources DSP’s Budget Working Group had also considered the issue on 26th October 2005.

 

Those Members who had requested call-in stated why they had done this:

 

  • Concern over the consequences for in-town trade and that the consultation quoted in the report did not stipulate whether traders had been involved. The Cabinet decision had placed no emphasis on the potential effects for the local economy;
  • While safe, secure, suitable parking spaces were deemed essential; they should be run on a non-profit basis;
  • The debate on car parking charges should cover the whole of the District, including Bourne and the Deepings;
  • No specific reason had been given to justify the need for increased income from car parking; previous justifications had included the cost of CCTV provision;
  • The greatest percentage of increased income would come from Stamford.

 

Having listened to the arguments put forward, Members of the Panel agreed to accept the call-in request. Members of the public and Councillors who were not members of the Panel were given the opportunity to make comments on this item. Points raised included the recent increase in charges for Newark and the intention to increase them further within a year. A representative from the Stamford Chamber of Trade and Commerce represented their suggestion of off-peak and peak charges according to days of the week: charges should be lower from Monday to Thursday and higher on a Friday and Saturday, inline with the demand for spaces. This could potentially increase the number of visitors and maximise the use of parking spaces.

 

The Economic Portfolio Holder stated that the Cabinet’s decision was within the parameters of the Council’s agreed policy. Within the Midterm Financial Strategy, the Council proposed to maximise its assets. The intention of the amended charging regime was to maximise the use of parking spaces. The Cabinet Members present stated that a major review of car parking across the District was being undertaken, which would lead to a District-wide review of car parking charges.

 

Discussion ensued as to whether an increase in charges would be borne by local residents. It was felt that generally those affected by charging would be visitors to the towns. The majority of Panel members agreed that increased charges would not put tourists off visiting towns within the District.

 

The Chairman of the Resources DSP’s Budget Working Group supported the original recommendations. A review of charges was incumbent upon the authority as part of the Comprehensive Performance Review.

 

There was continued concern from some Members over the large percentage increase in charges for Stamford. It was pointed out that in many towns, charges were considerably higher, even with the proposed increase. There was also discussion on the proportion of Council Tax subsidy achieved through parking charges. It was felt that the quality of parking facility and signage thereto, were of greater consideration than charges.

 

The Management Accountant stated that a period of on and off-peak charging had been trialled previously. People had found it confusing and it led to an increase in the number of excess charge notices.

 

Panel Members emphasised the importance of a review of charges across the District on completion of the study that was being carried out. They felt that the District Council’s charging policy should be amended to reflect the results of the study.

 

CONCLUSION:

 

That Decision CO79 should not be referred back to Cabinet and the decision is therefore implemented.