Agenda item

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability presented a report which proposed targeted amendments to both East Herts District Council’s (EHDC) Resident Permit Parking Schemes (RPZs) Operational Guidance and EHDC’s Resident Permit Parking Policy.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability advised that the Council’s 2024 Parking Strategy had committed to reviewing the RPZ approach in response to community concerns about parking availability and enforcement. In early 2025, Citisense was commissioned to independently assess the RPZ guidance and policy. The review made several recommendations as detailed in Appendix B of the report. Two key changes were proposed: reducing the non-resident parking occupancy threshold from 40% to 10% and lowering the requirement for on-street parking capacity from 75% to 50% of households in a proposed zone. These changes aimed to improve flexibility, reflect best practice and better align policy with lived experience in high-stress parking areas.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability made a minor amendment to the recommendation in the report to highlight the referral to Council. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability proposed that the recommendation, as amended, be supported. The Executive Member for Neighbourhoods seconded the proposal.

Following a request in advance of the meeting to speak on this matter, Mr Ian Bailey was invited to address the Executive. Mr Bailey asked the Executive to review one of the recommendations made by Citisense (to reduce the requirement that more than 50% of households must respond before the consultation is taken forward to engagement stage) as it was not proposed to be adopted. Mr Bailey highlighted that a 50% response rate was an unrealistically high target and provided a local example by where consultation had not progressed due to a 40% response rate. Mr Bailey suggested that the scheme provided provision for officer discretion and requested the proposal in question be reviewed.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability responded by recognising that the policy aimed to meet most requirements and confirmed reluctance to alter the 50% democratic approach.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability noted that the views of residents with a neutral stance needed to be expressed and recognised that hyperlocal elements within zones were important. He thanked Mr Bailey for his contribution and offered him a meeting, alongside the relevant ward Councillors to discuss his local situation.

The Executive Member for Resident Engagement welcomed the proposed changes noting his wards proximity to Stansted Airport and queried if there would be flexibility over restricted parking times. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability noted that there were several examples across East Herts where parking schemes had been embraced by local communities. These had been developed through consultation with residents, including the introduction of a "spoiler hour" to deter all-day parkers. He acknowledged that whilst this approach might not suit every area, it demonstrated how such schemes could be managed with flexibility.

The Executive Member for Financial Sustainability queried whether an increase in RPZs would be accompanied by sufficient resources to ensure proper enforcement. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability confirmed that existing resources were flexible and advised that this would be monitored.

The Executive Member for Wellbeing welcomed the proposal for the non-resident parking occupancy threshold to decrease from 40% to 10%.

The motion to support the amended recommendation, having been proposed and seconded, was put to the meeting and upon a vote being taken, was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – to recommend to Council that it adopts the below changes to East Herts Resident’s Permit Zone (RPZ) Operational Guidance policy:

•      That the requirement that non-resident parking must exceed 40% occupancy at peak times, as a condition for Page 17 Agenda Item 5 implementing an RPZ, be reduced to 10% of occupancy at peak times;

•      That requirement for there to be sufficient kerb space to enable 75% of households in a proposed area to park one vehicle on-street as a condition for implementing an RPZ, be reduced to 50% from the guidance.