Agenda item

Consideration was given to the report of the Executive Director on the District of Rother Parking Places Order (PPO).  The Council currently operated its designated car parks under the District of Rother (Off Street) PPO 1983 and despite a number of small variations, had not been significantly updated since that time.  In December 2018, Cabinet had recommended a number of changes and resolved that officers draft and consult on a new PPO.

The overall objective of the new PPO was to improve the ability of the Council to manage all car parks effectively, meet the cost of maintenance and enforcement.  There was also a desire to provide greater controls to the Council within ‘amenity open space parking areas’ and certain rural car parks which were not named in the current PPO and, therefore, were largely unenforceable.

The proposed draft PPO was appended to the report at Appendix A and included the following changes: allowed recreational vehicles to park during the daytime; reduced maximum waiting period to 23 hours; removed devolved car parks; varied payment methods; included a number of parking areas currently designated as ‘amenity open space parking areas’; and included rural car parks.  The reduction in maximum waiting periods in car parks would allow improved enforcement of cars that were abandoned and or left for long periods of time.  Local residents who used amenity car parks to park vehicles safely off the highway where there was no alternative parking would not be penalised if parked overnight.  

The inclusion of the car park at the Bear at Burwash was queried as it was thought that this was being devolved to Burwash Parish Council who was awaiting a lease; this would be investigated by officers. 

A consultation was held between 17 May to 26 July 2019 and the Council had received 302 responses; the executive summary was detailed in Appendix B to the report with full details available in the Members’ Room.  Feedback indicated that the majority of responders were supportive of the proposed changes.  Two additional changes were put forward for Members’ consideration, firstly, to include an electric vehicle charging clause to future proof the provision of electrical charging points and whether to award ‘Disabled Person’s Badge’ holders free parking for the first three hours of any one day, in-line with neighbouring authorities.  Should the Council agree to this it would result in a loss of £50,000 income per annum.

Members felt that the provision contained within PART I, Operative and General Provisions of the PPO, paragraph 23 (a) that a driver of a vehicle in respect of which a standard charge had been incurred had to pay the standard charge within seven days was insufficient time.  Cabinet suggested that this be amended to 21 working days and officers agreed to seek legal advice on this and advise accordingly for full Council on Monday 11 November.   

Cabinet was pleased with the level of engagement and considered that all the suggested amendments to the proposed PPO were welcome, however, the suggestion to support free parking for the first three hours to ‘Disabled Person’s Badge’ holders was not supported.  It was considered that the provision of disabled bays within car parks was about access and not cost and the Council could ill afford this reduction in income.   

RECOMMENDED: That:

1)     the proposed District of Rother (Off-Street) Parking Places Order 2019 at Appendix A be approved and adopted;

2)     the proposed free parking for the first three hours of any one day as part of the District of Rother (Off-Street) Parking Places Order 2019 for Disabled Person’s Badge Holders NOT be supported; and

3)     (Councillor Mrs Bayliss wished it to be recorded that she abstained from voting on this recommendation). 

4)     the number of days in which a driver of a vehicle in respect of which a standard charge had been incurred had to pay the standard charge be extended from seven to 21 days, subject to legal advice.