Agenda item

Please find below an update on the measures that the North Essex Parking Partnership (NEPP) is taking in relation to the ongoing emergency measures in place during the Coronavirus pandemic as it relates to on-street parking.  

During the Emergency Measures:  

For a time, from the beginning of the emergency measures, NEPP reduced its patrols and site maintenance to no more than a reactive service, due to the changed nature of parking taking place.  We recognised early that the emergency measures would impact upon others working from, or remaining at, home – and relaxed a number of resident parking and other low-level parking restrictions at that time, whilst simultaneously adding three months to existing resident permits to avoid any issues with renewal.  Whilst we have been concentrating on communicating these changes, and since the emergency measures were put in force, no Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) have been issued. 

 At the onset of the emergency measures, we gave four timescales: –   

1. 15 April: to review our patrol and customer service operations;  
2. 30 April: to review our patrol and maintenance operations;  
3. 30 June: to review the position with resident permits and season tickets;  
4. 30 September: to review the position with NHS free parking permits. 

On 15 April we took the decision not to reintroduce any NEPP services, but to review details in time for the following week. In addition, with the reduced frequency of incoming calls, the public telephone lines began reduced hours. For parking near home, residents can continue to make use of the relaxed restrictions in resident parking zones and on single-hour single yellow line commuter restrictions.  

The Current NEPP Operation: 

On 27 April we re-introduced some patrols, to check usage and the most serious issues. 

We are currently: –   

• Conducting non-enforcement patrols to survey parking habits; 
• Checking high-level routes for parking contraventions; 
• Recommencing parking machine maintenance;  
• Continuing new schemes and carrying out line maintenance as weather allows; 
• Carrying out Parking Bay suspensions for emergency road works; and 
• Operating a reduced customer service telephone service. 

NEPP agreed to review again the measures on 30 April, so that the service would be prepared to react in light of any further government measures, or changes put in place. NEPP will change the service depending upon the outcome of government messages during the coming week, but at present our future plans are as follows: –  

Forthcoming Operations  

Weds 6 May – Thurs 7 May, and from Mon 11 May onwards: 

We will be returning to parking patrols including the issue of PCNs to the highest-level contraventions; but not patrolling residential and single hour single yellow line commuter restrictions. Accesses will need to be kept clear however and other yellow line and access contraventions may attract a PCN if safe to issue and serve notice or use a postal PCN where it is not safe to serve the notice directly. 

The high, medium and low level controls are set out in the Parking Management Plans to show how patrols would be deployed across the North Essex Parking Partnership: (link?to Parking Management Policy, see pp17-19). 

List of contraventions in the high-level category: 

Requests for on-demand patrols of the highest-level areas can be made through our normal enquiry number, 01206 282316 (currently open 1000-1400 Monday – Friday except bank holidays).  

Residential Areas 

We will be communicating by email to our MiPermit Resident Permit account holders to explain the current situation, and then again when it is clear how a gradual return to normal will be made. We will not patrol the relaxed residential permit and single hour commute restrictions areas until after 22 May, at the earliest. The resident permit extension for existing permit holders continues until 30 June.  

Future Reviews: 

NEPP will review the services again on 18 May in order to plan for service delivery after Tuesday 26 May.