Agenda item

(A)           the findings of the review of the parking task and finish group recommendations be received and considered.

(B)           To approve the cessation of the following recommendations within the Parking Task and Finish group report:

a.    Recommendation 3: improve the accessibility and availability of short stay parking including an increase to the number of limited waiting, free bays where possible, throughout the town.

b.    Recommendation 10:Support Watton at Stone Parish council the lobbying for an increase in the number of parking spaces in the station car park.

c.     Recommendation 17: The Council to challenge station car park operators to reduce their charges to reflect closer to the all-day charge in East Herts Town Centre station car parks.

(C)           To approve the following recommendations for deferral:

a.    Recommendations 1:  Design and implement measures to encourage rail commuters to park in station car parks

b.    Recommendation 16: Revise the designation of Council owned car parks

(D)          To note that the following recommendations will be incorporated in service plans for officers to monitor, reporting periodically to the portfolio holder for parking:

a.    Recommendation 2:Revise the designation of Council owned car parks

b.    Recommendation 6: Review Blue Badge provision in Council-owned car parks

c.     Recommendation 9: Implement a permit parking scheme for Town Centre workers

d.    Recommendation 11: Lobby for improved cycle parking facilities and improved public transport

e.    Recommendation 13: Establish EV charging bays in EHDC car parks

f.      Recommendation 15: Implementing and lobbying for sustainability improvements including solar canopies, on-street EV charging and car clubs.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability submitted a report on the outcome of the work of the Parking Task and Finish group in the context of the Medium Term Financial Plan. 

Councillor McAndrew provided a summary of the background to the report in terms of the establishment and remit of the Task and Finish Group and that the Executive had last considered the matter on 11 February 2020.  At that meeting the Executive agreed a further recommendation, that authority be delegated to the Head of Operations in consultation with the Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Committee and Chairman of the Parking Task and Finish Group and the Executive Member, to assess the full viability of the recommendations and bring a further report to the Executive setting out the cost implications. He said that work had been carried out to consider the cost implications in the context of the corporate plan, but that the Council had been impacted by Covid-19 both economically and in terms of parking behavior particularly, in relation to long stay parking. 

The Head of Operations explained that the report before Members had taken a pragmatic approach to ensure that the Council did not invest too much money too soon and that this would be monitored. She added that the amendment to the Residential Parking Zone would be recommended to Council for adoption and a handful of items would be deferred as soon as Officers could establish what parking looked like on a long term basis.

Councillor Drake explained that decisions had to be made around the categorisation of the Task and Finish Group’s aspirations in terms of the budget and Covid-19 and those issues needed to be future proofed.  

The Leader suggested that the recommendations be taken separately as A, B, C, D and E. Councillor McAndrew then proposed and Councillor Boylan seconded a motion to support the recommendations in the report.  On being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that (A) the group recommendations be received and considered.

(B)       To approve the cessation of the following recommendations within the Parking Task and Finish group report:

a.          Recommendation 3: improve the accessibility and availability of short stay parking including an increase to the number of limited waiting, free bays where possible, throughout the town.

b.         Recommendation 10:Support Watton at Stone Parish Council in lobbying for an increase in the number of parking spaces in the station car park.

c.          Recommendation 17: The Council to challenge station car park operators to reduce their charges to reflect closer to the all-day charge in East Herts Town Centre station car parks.

(C)   To approve the following recommendations for deferral:

a.     Recommendations 1:  Design and implement measures to encourage rail commuters to park in station car parks

b.         Recommendation 16: Revise the designation of Council owned car parks

(D)      To note that the following recommendations will be incorporated in service plans for officers to monitor, reporting periodically to the portfolio holder for parking:

a.          Recommendation 2:Revise the designation of Council owned car parks

b.         Recommendation 6: Review Blue Badge provision in Council-owned car parks

c.          Recommendation 9: Implement a permit parking scheme for Town Centre workers

d.         Recommendation 11: Lobby for improved cycle parking facilities and improved public transport

e.          Recommendation 13: Establish EV charging bays in EHDC car parks

f.           Recommendation 15: Implementing and lobbying for sustainability improvements including solar canopies, on-street EV charging and car clubs.

RESOLVED – to recommend to Council

(E)        The amendment in the Residential Parking Zone Policy as described in Paragraph 2.24 and Appendix A for adoption.

The Leader thanked the Task and Finish Group for their efforts in moving this matter forward.