Agenda item

Introduction of Charges to Off-Street Car Parks Within the Civil Parking Enforcement Area

Minutes:

The Council currently operated its designated car parks under the District of Rother (Off Street) Parking Places Order 2020 (PPO).  The PPO provided a framework under which the Council could manage the car parks under its ownership and enforce parking conditions to ensure proper use.

 

East Sussex County Council intended to introduce Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) on 29 September 2020, which had recently been passed in Parliament. CPE would introduce charging to certain on-street parking locations throughout Bexhill, Rye and Battle, but not to other areas of the district; however, other restrictions could apply, such as double yellow line enforcement or resident permit schemes, for example.

 

The introduction of CPE was likely to increase the use off-street car parks under the Council’s ownership.  Residents, local businesses and visitors expected a parity of parking charges between equivalent areas, therefore it was important that the cost of off-street parking was standardised between equivalent areas of the district.

 

Any increase in the use of Council owned car parks would have attached associated maintenance and administration costs.  The COVID-19 pandemic had compounded what was already a challenging time for the Council’s finances, therefore any increase in the Council’s costs needed to be met by an increase in relevant charges; charges had not been increased since 2014.  Furthermore, those car parks that were presently free to use, did not contribute to the Council’s maintenance and operational costs.

 

The report sought authority to introduce parking charges to those car parks that fell directly within those CPE areas where on-street charges would be introduced.  It was also proposed that those car parks that were in close proximity to areas where on-street charges would apply should also have charges introduced. 

 

Details of the proposed variations to the PPO were at Appendix B to the report.  Since publication of the report, Members had raised specific concerns regarding the ability of local residents and business owners to park locally, given the limited on-street parking options at many locations.  Consequently, Appendix B had been amended to include the introduction of permits to all car parks where charges presently applied.

 

It was proposed to place a cap on the number of permits that could be awarded at each location to ensure that spaces remained available to non-permit holders.  The cost of a permit would be standardised across the district at £321.50 per annum.  Members noted that this was equivalent to the cost or an annual permit at Gibbets Marsh Rye and equated to 90p per day.  Spaces in car parks where charges would be introduced would be advertised for four weeks and allocated in order of priority: *local disabled residents, *local residents, *local businesses, other (*local was defined as those within a ¼ mile radius of the respective car park location).

 

Capital investment would be required to bring in charges to the car parks that were presently free to use. These costs included new signage and the introduction of payment machines; a table of estimated equipment costs was presented to Members within the report.  It was proposed that the cost be met from the Car Parks Earmarked Reserve. In addition, there was an annual revenue cost associated with maintaining the payment machines as well as collecting the cash of approximately £1,500 per machine or £12,000 for the eight additional machines required.  Members suggested the use of mobile phone payments only in smaller car parks rather than purchasing machines and officers confirmed that was already being considered.

 

Based on the revised charges and the increased number of chargeable parking spaces, it was estimated that income from car parks would increase by approximately £150,000 per annum. This would meet the ongoing costs and was an estimate based on a 50% occupancy rate at each car park.

 

Cabinet welcomed the parity of car park charges across the district and the amendment to Appendix B to include the introduction of annual permits for all car parks.

 

It was recommended and agreed that car park charges be reviewed after six months and a report be made to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee with any recommendations back to Cabinet. 

 

RESOLVED: That:

 

1)         the variation to the District of Rother (Off-Street) Parking Places Order 2020 be approved to allow the introduction of a scale of charges in certain car parks that are free to use at present;

 

2)         the variation to the District of Rother (Off-Street) Parking Places Order 2020 be approved to revise the charges within certain car parks that fall within those areas where on-street charging will be introduced under Civil Parking Enforcement;

 

3)         the cost of equipment and signage, estimated at £47,500, be met from the capital parking earmarked reserve; and

 

4)         car park charges and the effects of Civil Parking Enforcement be reviewed by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee after six months and any recommendations made to Cabinet.

 

(Councillors Barnes and Field each declared a Personal Interest in this matter in so far as they were elected Members of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Madeley declared a personal interest in this matter as a member of the Bexhill Old Town Preservation Society and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).

 

(Councillor Maynard declared a personal interest in this matter as an Executive Member of East Sussex County Council and in accordance with the Members’ Code of Conduct remained in the meeting during the consideration thereof).

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