Agenda item

An update on progress against the Parking Strategy, one year on.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability submitted a report that summarised the progress on the East Herts Parking Strategy, which had been adopted in January 2025. He said that there had been extensive consultation in 2024, and the aim of the strategy was to make parking rules simpler and more consistent whilst supporting longer term sustainability and behaviour change.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that the strategy was not solely focussed on parking services, and it brought together actions and resources from across the council and different partners.

Members were advised that the strategy was underpinned by three objectives, which were (A) support the take up of environmentally friendly vehicles and sustainable alternatives to driving, (B) take a balanced approach to parking to make it fairer, easier and more consistent across East Herts and (C) adopting a more considerate approach to managing parking services throughout East Herts.

Members were advised that each of the objectives was underpinned by several individual actions. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that Appendix A detailed a number of strategic objectives and progress had been made in several areas. A number of the objectives were strategic in nature and were designed to encourage long term behaviour change and modal shift.

Members mentioned parking tariff reviews and car park capacity, relating to BA4 and CA3, and whether there would be a period of monitoring after the prices increases in April to how this had impacted on dwell time, car capacity and behaviour change as well as monitoring of the impact of increases in parking on residential roads in town centres.

The Committee also mentioned CA5 in the context of a review of parking enforcement in terms of whether this would include on street parking. The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability touched on the limited Civic Enforcement Officer (CEO) resource and said that the council used this APCOA resource as efficiently as possible. Requests for ad hoc inspections were accommodated where possible and the aim was to ensure a visible presence when CEOs were out on site and there was an impact.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that the council needed to reinstate the footfall reports that related to town centres so that there was a before and after comparison. He said that questions around modal shift were extraordinarily difficult to answer and there were initiatives whereby people were rewarded for using alternative modes of transport. Members were advised that a couple of schemes were being explored for secure electric bike stores where expensive bikes could be stored securely.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that dwell times had reduced dramatically in Apton Road and Basbow Lane car parks in Bishop’s Stortford, and the dwell time in Northgate End had increased. He said that a third phase of the strategy was charging on an emissions-based tariff structure.

Members commented on the responsiveness of the parking team in the context of requests from councillors or residents for support across East Herts. Some concerns had been expressed by sports clubs and community organisations which were located adjacent to car parks. A concern was expressed about a counterproductive situation where people discouraged from using car parks and then parking on street causing complaints from residents. There was a need for a significant review in that regard.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability talked about the impact of any action having unplanned consequences and there was no parking policy that could affect or prevent inconsiderate parking by the public. He said policies were in place to police inconsiderate parking.

A question was asked about BA1 and a review of the all-day parking tariffs option for some town centre car parks to better utilize car parking spaces for shoppers. Comments were made about consultation with the workers in the town who would find it more difficult if all day parking charges were reviewed and was the council going to talk consulting with town centre workers or their representatives.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability said that reduced charges had been extended for town centre workers in Bishop’s Stortford and charges had been reduced in Northgate End for all residents using that facility. A similar approach had been taken in Old London Road in Hertford and there were ongoing discussions with the BID and active engagement to explore the option of residential and business permits.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability confirmed that as regards emissions-based parking, this had worked elsewhere, and the issue was the pay and display machines were not new and whilst we recognize that they are they served a really useful purpose as not everyone used electronic payments. He said that a more limited number of more modern payment machines which were capable of linking to the DVLA databases allowing the rate to be set automatically based upon the car type.

The Chair reminded the committee that it was for the committee to shape recommendations for future priorities for the Executive to consider. He said that first one he had noted down was for emissions-based car parking rates.

A question was asked about car clubs and where the council was in that regard and could this be taken forward in collaboration with other companies. The Director for Regeneration, Customer and Commercial Services said that the previous car club operated from Wallfields, supported by a central government grant, had not worked financially as the demand from private users was insufficient to cover the cost of the extra insurance and maintenance. He also mentioned the logistically challenges for residents using the cars in an out-of-town location. Members were advised that this was an option that could be explored going forward for Old River Lane or Northgate End in Bishop’s Stortford.

The Executive Member for Environmental Sustainability commented on the possibility of a mechanism within an RPZ where there were discounted spaces on offer for a car share scheme. A number of houses could club together and there would one vehicle for which there would be a reserved space at a reduced rate within the RPZ.

There was a discussion around the future impact of significant expansion of Stansted Airport and the current signage and parking monitoring in Bishop’s Stortford and Sawbridgeworth. The Director for Regeneration, Customer and Commercial Services said that discussions were ongoing with MAG about recognising this issue and whether funding could be forthcoming about residents permit zones and the forward plan for new permit zones.

The Director for Regeneration, Customer and Commercial Services commented the future options for the top floor of the Northgate End Car Park, as this had been closed for a while. Members were advised that RPZs had to be hyper local and there had to be consultation and there was a threshold for future considerations of an RPZ, and there also had to be consideration of the knock-on impacts in terms of the displacement of parking.

Members discussed the possibility of single hours being permitted on single yellow lines, and the enforcement officers knowing when this was across the district. A concern was expressed about badly maintained cars causing a lot of emissions.

Councillor Nicholls proposed and Councillor Swainston seconded, a motion that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee have reviewed progress made to date in respect of the Parking Strategy and the Executive be asked to consider the following:

·            emissions-based car parking rates.

·            impact and monitoring of unintended consequences of the proposed changes

·            single yellow line restrictions changed from all day to a single specific hour

·            promote resident and business permits more to help increase uptake of the scheme and to help reduce parking costs for regular users of the car parks. 

After being put to the meeting and a vote taken, the motion was declared CARRIED.

RESOLVED – that the Overview and Scrutiny Committee have reviewed the progress made to date in respect of the Parking Strategy and the Executive be asked to consider the following:

·            emissions-based car parking rates.

·            impact and monitoring of unintended consequences of the proposed changes

·            single yellow line restrictions changed from all day to a single specific hour

·            promote resident and business permits more to help increase uptake of the scheme and to help reduce parking costs for regular users of the car parks.