27.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport, together with a revised Appendix 1B, and the comments of the Parking Charges Review Board held on 15 January 2020.
27.2 The Lead Member requested that Residents Permits can be purchased for 3, 6 and 12 months but with no additional cost / penalty if paying by instalments, and that officers consider the introduction of payment by monthly direct debit.
DECISIONS
27.3 The Lead Member RESOLVED to (1) Note the response to the public consultation on increasing parking pay & display charges and the proposed changes to permit charges; and
(2) Approve the proposals:
a. to increase parking pay & display tariffs and permit charges as detailed in Appendix 1; and
b. agree that pay & display tariffs and permit charges across the county should be reviewed annually.
Reasons
27.4 There appears to be strong support for the County Council to introduce measures to reduce traffic congestion in our town centres. The proposed increase to parking charges will help to reduce vehicle trips and encourage greater use of sustainable modes of transport.
27.5 Concerns about the local air quality of our town centres were identified through the online questionnaire with almost two thirds of respondents indicating they feel the County Council should take measures to improve air quality across the county. Incentives such as a reduced resident parking permit for the least polluting vehicles will encourage a modal shift to electric vehicles. Over half of respondents to the online questionnaire indicated measures should be taken by the County Council to encourage more sustainable modes of transport across the county.
27.6 In order to achieve our objective of influencing driver behaviour and encourage people to use alternative sustainable forms of transport, additional tariff increases are likely to be required. It is proposed that any further increases to Parking Tariffs will be reviewed as part of the annual review of fees and charges.
9.1 The Lead Member considered a report by the Director of Communities, Economy and Transport.
DECISIONS
9.2 The Lead Member RESOLVED to: 1) note the proposals on increasing parking pay & display charges and the proposed changes to permit charges; and
2) approve that a six week consultation should be undertaken on the proposals outlined in this report.
Reasons
9.3 Each of the three Controlled Parking Areas were set up some years apart and with varying types of parking provision to satisfy the particular needs of the local community. There are similarities between the three areas, however, there are different levels of charging in each area and the difference is particularly noticeable in the different charges for permits.
9.4 The effective control of parking is a crucial element of wider transport strategies as set out in the Local Transport Plan (LTP). It supports the local economy by assisting with the management of congestion and the availability and demand for parking spaces as well as encouraging greater use of more sustainable forms of transport.
9.5 The consultation will seek to understand people’s views on the Council’s proposed approach to the management of parking demand across the county through the increase in on-street pay & display parking tariffs and parking permit charges. The consultation will also look to better understand whether these proposed changes will encourage drivers to use sustainable forms of transport and/or to use vehicles that emit lower levels of pollutants.