Agenda item

(Safer, Greener & Transport Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-041-2016/17).

(1)        That the request by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) to manage the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park on their behalf, on the basis that all management and enforcement costs were recovered by the Council before any income was passed over to the Regional Park Authority, be agreed;

(2)        That an Invest to Save bid in the sum of £15,000 be agreed for setting up pay and display arrangements at the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park;

(3)        That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid be made in the sum of £12,000 from 2017/18 for ongoing management of the car park, noting that all costs would be recovered from LVRPA;

(4)        That the use of the services of the North Essex Parking Partnership to make the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders to convert the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park to a pay-and-display regime be agreed; and

(5)        That authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Transport to agree the final terms of the legal agreement with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

The Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener & Transport presented a report requesting approval to enforce at the Waltham Abbey Gardens car park on behalf of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that the Council currently provided 18 car parks across the District, with an additional 3 car parks due to become operational in the next financial year. These provided pay and display parking for shoppers, visitors and commuters and were a source of revenue for the Council. The Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) had approached the Council earlier in the year to explore the opportunity to increase the number of pay and display parking spaces in the Waltham Abbey area. The Cabinet had, in principle, agreed to the request at its meeting on 9 June 2016 subject to a further report. If agreed the increase in parking spaces would benefit the local shops and traders in Waltham Abbey.

The Portfolio Holder stated that in order to convert this car park into a pay and display car park, it would be necessary to incur expenditure to install pay and display machines, tariff boards, and make a formal Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), for which a sum of £15,000 had been requested from the ‘Invest To Save’ Fund; plus a bid for £12,000 from the Continuing Services Budget from 2017/18 for carry out ongoing maintenance and enforcement activities, although it was expected to recover these costs each year from the Regional Park Authority. It was proposed to engage the services of the North Essex Parking Partnership to make the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders, and the Portfolio Holder requested delegated authority to agree the final terms of the legal agreement with the Regional Park Authority.

Decision:

(1)        That the request by the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority (LVRPA) to manage the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park on their behalf, on the basis that all management and enforcement costs would be recovered by the Council before any income was passed over to the Regional Park Authority, be agreed;

(2)        That an Invest to Save bid in the sum of £15,000 be agreed for setting up pay and display arrangements at the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park;

(3)        That a Continuing Services Budget growth bid be made in the sum of £12,000 from 2017/18 for ongoing management of the car park, noting that all costs would be recovered from LVRPA;

(4)        That the use of the services of the North Essex Parking Partnership to make the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders to convert the Waltham Abbey Gardens Car Park to a pay-and-display regime be agreed; and

(5)        That authority be delegated to the Portfolio Holder for Safer, Greener and Transport to agree the final terms of the legal agreement with Lee Valley Regional Park Authority.

Reasons for Decision:

By agreeing to manage the new car park, on behalf of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, the parking charges and enforcement arrangements would be consistent across all the car parks in Waltham Abbey.

Other Options Considered and Rejected:

To not manage the car park on behalf of the Lee Valley Regional Park Authority; however, the Park Authority would make arrangements with either a private provider or Broxbourne Borough Council, who currently manage other car parks for them outside the District.