Agenda item - Parking Strategy and Tariff Structure

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-077-2013/14).

(1) That the following revised District parking strategy be agreed for consultation with local businesses, business organisations and the residents:

(1) In order to support the economic vitality of town centres and associated businesses, the following principles be considered:

(a) the provision and availability of short stay parking for up to five hours;

(b) the introduction of linear tariffs (i.e. equal steps from one charging period to the next, such as 70 pence for each hour);

(c) differential tariffs for different locations;

(d) the continuation of limited free parking on Saturdays within each town centre; and

(e) the continuation of free parking in all car parks on Saturdays in December of each year;

(2) The needs of locally based employers and their employees be recognised and that provision be made to facilitate their long stay parking;

(3) The wish of residents and non-residents to use the Central Line to commute to work be recognised and facilitated, but that the costs of that parking properly reflect the comparative costs of parking in station and other private parking facilities;

(4) In support of (1), (2) and (3) above, Council car parks be generally available for both short and long stay use but that the balance between those uses be controlled through:

(a) the retention of short stay only parking in designated locations (e.g. a five hour maximum stay);

(b) the tariff structure (to include season ticket arrangements);

(c) the promotion of season tickets, and subject to the available technology, the use of “smart cards” for local employers and employees; and

(d) the balance of season ticket availability within car parks;

(5) Given the difficulties of determining acceptable solutions for parking pressures around commuter stations within the District, the current policy of not undertaking any further wide area parking reviews once the existing commitments to Buckhurst Hill and Loughton, subject to available resources, have been delivered, be maintained. Following these implementations, all requests for further on-street controls or amendments to existing controls shall be referred directly to Essex County Council as the Highways Authority or to the North Essex Parking Partnership. The Council will, through its relationships with NEPP and the County Council, continue to seek to influence NEPP and the County Council in investigating on-street parking stress and determining and delivering solutions;

(6) The need to encourage alternative modes of transport to the car are recognised. However, given that the availability of public transport is limited, particularly in the more rural areas the Council will continue to seek to influence the County Council to ensure the availability of appropriate public transport. It will also endeavour, through its adopted planning policies and development control powers when approving new developments, to seek to ensure a balance between:

(a) the need to have access to and use of a car; and

(b) the proximity of and availability of public transport;

(7) The needs of those with disabilities be recognised and that:

(a) dedicated free spaces for holders of valid “blue badges” continue to be provided in the Council’s car parks; and

(b) notwithstanding (a) above, a vehicle displaying a valid blue badge can park in any space within a Council car park at no charge; and

(8) That the cleanliness and safety of the Council’s car parks be maintained such as to retain the accredited status of Park Mark.

(2) That the following interim tariff structure be agreed to commence on 1 May 2014:

Type As is Proposed	Up to 30 min	Up to 1 hour	Up to 2 hours	Over 2 hours	Up to 3 hours	Over 3 hours	Up to 4 hours	Up to 5 Hours
Cottis Lane	0.10	0.70	1.40		2.10		2.80	3.50
Short stay	0.10	0.80	1.60		3.20	10.00
Long stay			1.60	3.50
Combined	0.10	0.80	1.60	3.50

(3) That a further report be received as early as possible in the new municipal year (2014/15) setting out proposals for new ‘smart’ meters and revised tariffs based on the consultation referred to above.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Transport presented a report on a revised interim Parking Strategy and Tariff structure.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the Council had not raised its off-street parking charges for five years, and its currently adopted parking strategy was last considered in November 2004. Present economic circumstances and continued pressure upon parking facilities dictated that both the strategy and tariff structure should be reviewed. It had been hoped to undertake the background work for the review in time for the commencement of the 2014/15 financial year, but this had not been possible. In order to ensure that due consideration was given to all possible options, it was suggested that the revised strategy be considered and then consulted upon. In respect of the parking tariffs, it was suggested the existing tariffs were essentially raised in accordance with the lost inflationary increases over the past five years, pending the outcome of the strategy consultation and a more fundamental tariff review in the new year.

A local Member for Chipping Ongar, Greensted and Marden Ash stressed that Ongar was the smallest of the town centres in the Epping Forest District and did not have a Central Line station. Consequently, it had to be competitive with its car parking charges to encourage shoppers to visit; Brentwood had a larger shopping centre and lower car parking charges. Therefore, the Portfolio Holder was requested to not increase the car parking charges in Ongar until the further review report had been considered.

The Portfolio Holder assured the Member that he was aware of the concerns of Ongar, but would not be able to amend the interim car parking charges in the short term. When the new tariff was introduced during 2014/15, possible variations in charging for the different centres would be considered, and the new tariff would have a public consultation period before it was introduced.

A local member for Epping Hemnall requested the Portfolio Holder to consider measures to relieve the parking pressures at Epping Station, including providing information on bus services, instigating a park-and-ride facility at North Weald Airfield, and residents renting out their driveways for commuters to use. The Portfolio Holder was urged to advertise the proposed public consultation wider than simply the Council’s website, using the Forester and Parish Magazines.

The Portfolio Holder would welcome any ideas on how to advertise the public consultation in the widest possible manner. Further information regarding bus services and the hiring of residents’ driveways could be provided, whilst the possible instigation of a park-and-ride facility at North Weald Airfield would be examined in the longer term.

The Housing Portfolio Holder, who was also a local Member for North Weald Bassett, opined that a park-and-ride facility at North Weald Airfield would not solve the parking problems related to Epping Station as other commuters would move into the vacated spaces. Unfortunately for residents close to Central Line stations, the fares for travelling on the Underground were cheaper than National Rail fares.

The Director of Environment & Street Scene explained that the structure of the interim tariff was the same, the charges had simply been increased; and the structure of the new tariff could alter radically after the public consultation exercise had been completed. It was acknowledged that there had been a low take-up of season tickets and if more were sold then the Council’s income would be reduced, the Council needed to strike a balance between having car parking spaces available and generating income. The Portfolio Holder added there had been no indication from the North Essex Parking Partnership that the on-street parking charges within the District would rise.

Decision: