Decisions

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).

In December 2018, the Council completed the acquisition of the head leasehold interests of three sites on the West Trading Estate in Beeching Road Bexhill, including the site at 18-40 Beeching Road.

One half of this site was let to commercial tenants (Screwfix and Phase Electrical); the remainder was vacant and in a deteriorating condition.  The purchase price for the head leasehold interest reflected the fact that the vacant premises would require significant refurbishment in order to re-let them. 

The Council had successfully secured £960,000 through the Local Growth Fund grant through South East Local Enterprise Partnership, to convert the vacant premises into workspaces aimed at developing creative sector enterprises and funding was allocated in the Council’s capital programme for this work.

The project had been given the working title of ‘Beeching Road Studios’ and details of the vision of the project, to be established by 2025, were detailed in the report before Members.  A Steering Group of stakeholders, including the Council, the De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill Contemporary Group, Bexhill College and others engaged closely with the development of the business plan; the Council would continue to work closely with the Steering Group in bringing forward the project and monitoring its future success.

The refurbishment of the exterior of the premises had recently been tendered and work on site was due to commence imminently, with completion expected by December 2020.  Phase 2 of the refurbishment comprised the internal fit-out and mechanical and electrical systems, which would follow once a tenant had been selected, with a view to being open by the spring of 2021.

Four potential operators had expressed interest in managing the scheme and the Council had invited interested parties to set out their proposals, to include a rental level and preferred length of lease.  These had been reviewed by a panel comprising the Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Economic Development and Regeneration, along with the Head of Service for Acquisitions, Transformation and Regeneration, the Property Investment and Regeneration Manager and the Regeneration Officer.  The Panel had concluded that Bexhill College offered the best strategic fit with the aims and objectives of the scheme, the draft heads of terms of the proposal were set out for Members in the Confidential Appendix 1 to the report.

RESOLVED: That the Executive Director be authorised to enter into a lease with Bexhill College for the Beeching Road Studios project at 18-40 Beeching Road Bexhill, for a term not exceeding 20 years and otherwise on terms approved by the Executive Director.

(The Confidential Appendix in relation to this matter, as set out at Agenda Item 15 was considered exempt from publication by virtue of Paragraph 3 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972, as amended.  In accordance with the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access to Information) (England) Regulations 2012 Cabinet did not consider it necessary to exclude the press and public whilst considering this matter).

The Council’s Community Grants Scheme (CGS) made provision for up to £130,000 per annum to be made available to community groups or organisations that met the grants criteria of the Scheme.  The Panel had delegated authority to grant awards up to £500 and had approved £500 to Strive Café for the renovation of a room to be used at the café.  In addition, £15,000 had been allocated to the HAIRE project for year 2, leaving a total of £114,500.  The Panel met to consider two rounds of grants, in July (Round 1) and February (Round 2).

Round 1 of the Rother CGS for 2020/21 closed on 15 July 2020.  A total of six applications were received.  Two applications did not meet the CGS criteria, and those applicants were being encouraged to seek advice from Rother Voluntary Action before a new application was submitted.  The Panel met on 27 July 2020 and recommended awards for four applications from Bexhill Environment Group, Ewhurst and Staplecross Village Hall, Little Common Football Club and Ticehurst Parish Council, as set out in the report.  (Each application was summarised in Appendix A to the report.)  If agreed, this would result in a maximum of £24,534 being awarded in Round 1, leaving £89,966 for Round 2 and other small grants for the remainder of the financial year 2020/21.  Round 2 of the Community Grants Scheme (applications above £500) would open for applications on 1 October 2020 and close on 15 January 2021.

Members agreed with the Panel’s recommendation that it should be mandatory for all grant applications to have the written support of at least one Ward Member from the relevant area and that the Panel’s Terms of Reference, attached at Appendix B to the report, be amended to reflect this change. Information concerning the Scheme would be circulated to all Members in due course to assist with its promotion.

RESOLVED: That:

1)         the community grants listed below, as recommended by the Grants Panel, be approved subject to specific conditions relating to each application, as follows:

Bexhill Environmental Group – £1,500

Ewhurst and Staplecross Village Hall – £1,234

Little Common Football Club – £20,000

Ticehurst Parish Council – £1,800

2)         the amended Terms of Reference for the Community Grants Panel, at Appendix B to the report be approved; and

3)         all Members to promote the small grants scheme within their wards.