Agenda item

(James Warwick, Acting Service Director Contracts)  To consider the attached report on the review off street parking tariffs.

J Warwick (Acting Service Director) introduced the off-street car parks tariffs report and advised the Select Committee that tariffs had not increased since 2015. The review aimed to ensure tariffs were set at a sustainable level to support the operation of car parks and to assist with budget pressures. Cost benefit analysis and consultation with officers and members had been carried out to inform the proposed changes to off street parking charges, permits and seasons tickets. These were detailed as:

Parking Charges;

•      The existing tariffs of £0.20 for 30 minutes, £0.80/£0.90 for up to 1 hour and £1.60/£1.80 for up to 2 hours to be increased by £0.20 across the District. The principle of differential tariff between car parks to be retained.

•      To retain the tariffs for stays above 2 hours.

•      To extend full tariff on Saturday to apply to all car parks across the District.

•      To extend 1 hour free parking on Sunday to 2 hours across the District and increase all day £1.00 charge to £2.00.

•      To remove daily 1 hour free charging in Civic Offices Car Park (Sunday free allowance will remain) in consistency with other District car parks.

•      To agree full tariffs to be introduced in Beaumont Park Drive Car Park, with a view to exploring satisfactory resolutions for demand.

•      To retain free weekend and Bank Holiday parking during the month of December.

•      To continue free parking for Blue Badge holders and motorbikes.

Permits & Season Tickets;

•      To increase first residents permit charge from £50.00 to £55.00 per annum, in line with on-street charges.

•      Introduction of business and residents permits in Cornmill Car Park (Waltham Abbey) and business permits in Oakwood Hill East Car Park (Loughton).

•      Season Tickets 5% discount to be retained and prices to be adjusted in line with proposed parking charges.

Operational hours of 08:00-18:00 in all car parks, and

Implementation of changes in tariff would commence in Q1 2022

The review of the off-street car park tariffs also took into consideration the climate change action plan and the need to reduce our carbon footprint and improve air quality in Epping Forest. Car parks were operating at 80% of pre-pandemic income.

The Committee considered and discussed the proposed changes tariffs and raised queries in relation to:

• Electric Vehicle charging points in car parks. J Warwick advised that that a detailed assessment of all car parks had been carried out to assess power supply and infrastructure costs with an external provider and at this stage EV charging was only viable in four car parks. He advised that Langston Road was not an EFDC car park. but that issues with the EV points would be taken up with asset management.

• Concerns were raised in relation to the increased fee for up thirty minutes parking and the impact on businesses and revitalising the high streets. J Warwick advised that there had been liaison with the economic development team, and that research from the British Parking Association and the Government suggested there was no clear relationship between parking charges and footfall. This review suggested a sustainable charge to cover the operational costs. The Select Committee felt this increase would drive members of the community to use areas outside the District that offered free parking. The Committee requested that an option to keep the first 30 minutes free, with additional increases to fees for longer stays to offset any financial impact should be presented to Cabinet for consideration.

• Members discussed the potential to have an annual payment for occasional use of the car parks and felt this would be advantageous to residents especially where there was restricted hours parking. The Select Committee were advised that this could present operational difficulties but different options would be investigated.

• The Committee were advised that car park payment machines would continue to accept cash and cards. That the there were no business or resident parking permits, only season tickets, in the Epping and Loughton Sainsbury car parks.

• Members requested that the service gave consideration to Member parking, with the reduction in parking allocation at the Civic Offices and suggested that parking permits could be issued. Cllr Kane advised he would take this back to Cabinet and J Warwick informed the Select Committee that a variety of options would be developed.

• Members welcomed the two hours free parking on Sundays

Resolved:

To recommend the review of off-street car parking tariff for consideration and approval by Cabinet with the inclusion of the additional options:

(a)  the first 30 mins parking be free of charge, or remain as is, and the financial impact be offset with further increased tariffs for longer stay periods of parking, and

(b)  the feasibility of the introduction of an annual payment system to allow the occasional use of all EFDC car parks for up to 2 hours,