Agenda item

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-075-2015/16).

(1)        That, in accordance with the Cabinet Decision of October 2010, the Loughton Broadway Parking Review be proceeded with, acknowledging that this would require a comprehensive assessment of existing and projected parking provision, including the Epping Forest Shopping Park;

(2)        That the North Essex Parking Partnership be appointed to carry out a scoping exercise for the Loughton Broadway Parking Review, including the implementation of some small scale traffic regulations;

(3)        That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet detailing the full scope of scheme and financial implications; and

(4)        That Contract Standing Order C5 (contracts exceeding £25,000 but not exceeding £50,000) be set aside to enable the appointment of the North Essex Parking Partnership.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport presented a report on the Loughton Broadway Parking Review.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that the Council had made a commitment to implement area wide parking reviews across the District when it had held the agency agreement with the County Council. At the end of the agency agreement in 2005, a decision was taken to continue implementation of the ongoing schemes. The Cabinet had previously resolved not to consider any further area wide parking reviews until the reviews at Epping, Buckhurst Hill and Loughton Broadway had been completed. The Epping and Buckhurst Hill reviews had now been completed and work could commence on the Loughton Broadway Parking Review (LBPR).

The Portfolio Holder stated that important lessons had been learnt from the Epping and Buckhurst Hill reviews; for example, carrying out an area wide review had proven to be very divisive and it had not always been possible to address the often conflicting requirements of residents, commuters, businesses and other road users. It was easier to obtain consensus around local specific issues, for example the creation of small scale resident parking zones or address junctions with perceived safety issues. Recent and proposed developments in the Loughton Broadway area involving projects like the Epping Forest Shopping Park, the redevelopment of the site of the former Sir Winston Churchill Public House, housing developments along Burton Road and the decision of Epping Forest College to introduce parking charges in their car park would create new pressure on the on street parking in the area. It was necessary to take a holistic view of the parking provisions and assess the impact of the aforementioned developments.

The Portfolio Holder reported that the Council did not have the technical expertise to deliver the Review, and therefore had two options to engage the services of: Essex Highways; or the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP). The Council had used Essex Highways for the two previous Reviews in Epping and Buckhurst Hill, but it was felt that there were a number of advantages in engaging the NEPP, including: lower Officer charge rates; greater control as the Council was still a member of the Partnership; easier access to NEPP Officers; informed decision making as the NEPP would be responsible for enforcing any new parking restrictions; and the NEPP had expertise gained from similar reviews elsewhere in Essex.

Therefore, the Portfolio Holder sought agreement from the Cabinet to proceed with the Loughton Broadway Parking Review, and appoint the North Essex Parking Partnership to undertake a scoping exercise – the results of which would be reported back to the Cabinet at a future meeting.

The Housing Portfolio Holder was very concerned that a recent planning application for the Council Housebuilding Programme had been refused permission pending the outcome of the Parking Review for Loughton Broadway. The Portfolio Holder wanted the review to be completed as soon as possible otherwise the Council could end up having to repay monies to the Government. The Portfolio Holder for Governance & Development Management also expressed fears that the NEPP would not start the Review until 2018/19.

In response, the Portfolio Holder was reluctant to give a date for the completion of the Parking Review at the current time until the scoping exercise had been completed. The Parking Review for Buckhurst Hill had taken two years, and this could be used as a possible ‘ball park’ estimate. A lack of resources at Essex County Council had contributed to the delays with the previous schemes, but the Council would be paying for Road Traffic Orders to be written by the NEPP not the County Council, so this should progress the Loughton Broadway Parking Review in a more timely manner.

The Portfolio Holder added that the NEPP had indicated they would engage extra staff for the review. The Assistant Director of Neighbourhoods (Technical Services) stated that the known trouble spots would be dealt with first, before a review of the wider area was undertaken. The NEPP had also indicated that they would like the staff undertaking the Review to be accommodated at the Civic Offices; it was suggested that the Broadway Office could be a more appropriate location, and the Portfolio Holder agreed to consider this.

A local Member for Loughton Broadway commented that all of the local Members had welcomed the consultations undertaken by the Portfolio Holder, and a list of local parking trouble spots had been supplied. It was felt that the NEPP Technical Team was generally better than the Enforcement Teams, and the Cabinet was informed that the planning application for the Council Housebuilding Programme at Loughton Broadway had been refused on the advice of a local member for Chigwell Village.

The Portfolio Holder confirmed that he would continue to work with local Members, and paid special tribute to the support of Cllr Girling. The Leader of Council highlighted that it should be the County Council that deals with parking issues, not the District Council, and there was also a need to liaise with the Off-Street Parking Programme on Council owned land to ascertain if there was any synergy. The Leader also stressed that the budget for the Review was as listed in the report; the Council could not afford to spend any more on it.

Decision:

(1)        That, in accordance with the Cabinet Decision of October 2010, the Loughton Broadway Parking Review be proceeded with, acknowledging that this would require a comprehensive assessment of existing and projected parking provision, including the Epping Forest Shopping Park;

(2)        That the North Essex Parking Partnership be appointed to carry out a scoping exercise for the Loughton Broadway Parking Review, including the implementation of some small scale traffic regulations;

(3)        That a further report be submitted to the Cabinet detailing the full scope of scheme and financial implications; and

(4)        That Contract Standing Order C5 (contracts exceeding £25,000 but not exceeding £50,000) be set aside to enable the appointment of the North Essex Parking Partnership.

Reasons for Decision:

To implement the last of the three area-wide Parking Reviews previously agreed by the Cabinet, and to address urgent local parking issues in the Loughton Broadway area.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not proceed with the scheme; however, this would be contrary to the previous Cabinet decision to undertake a review of parking issues in the Loughton Broadway area.

To carry out a small, targeted parking review and only address local parking issues; however, this would not consider the impact of a number of large ongoing infrastructure development schemes on the on street parking provisions in the area.