Agenda item

The Chairman of the Parking and Transport Strategy Task and Finish Group submitted a report providing Members with an update in respect of the progress made regarding completion of the Council’s Parking and Transport Strategy.

Councillor G McAndrew, as the Chairman of the Task and Finish Group, provided an overview relating to the evolution of the Strategy.  He advised that Members had kept in mind the Council’s strategic aims and had included a glossary of key terms early on in the strategy document.

Councillor G McAndrew stated that the strategy had taken account of the key differences and community priorities between the towns and rural areas across East Herts.  He detailed the areas covered by the chapters contained in the strategy document.  Members were reminded of the RING – GO system where by the public could extend parking tickets via a short phone call.

The Committee was advised that the Task and Finish Group would meet a further 2 or 3 times before the Strategy was presented to the Executive for approval in 6 weeks time.  The Parking Manager stressed that the work of the Task and Finish Group had highlighted that there were no right or wrong answers and the Strategy would provide a framework for future decision making over at least the next 10 years.

Councillor R Beeching commented that two key concerns from the public perspective were accessibility and commerce.  He also stated that economic wellbeing was very important to the towns and villages.  In response to a query from Councillor Beeching, Members were advised that the Authority was not permitted to make any profit on parking enforcement.

Members and Officers had a general debate around the methodology and balance of enforcement deployed in East Herts and also in respect of whether the Authority should heavily enforce against illegal on-street parking as opposed to car park enforcement.

The Parking Manager confirmed that Officers had considered whether to suspend the first charging period in car parks and increase the tariff for the subsequent time periods in car parks and stated that a 6 month trial of this methodology was planned for a Sawbridgeworth car park.  Members were advised that tear-off refundable tickets were already in use in Bishop’s Stortford and this could be used more widely at any time, if a town’s traders agreed to set up such a scheme.

The Parking Manager advised that future enforcement would be simplified when the existing pay and display machines came to the end of their useful life and were replaced by newer technology which might be a pay on exit system enforced by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.  This would enable Officers to support the economy of the high streets by tackling congestion caused by on-street contraventions.  The Parking Manager advised that the budgets agreed for the new contract included the provision of an ANPR vehicle to tackle hot spots in respect of illegal parking which will be particularly important for ensuring safety around schools. 

Members had a general debate in respect of bus service provision across East Herts.  The Parking Manager commented that opportunities were being explored by the LSP to improve accessibility through a  Community Transport approach.

The Director of Customer and Community Services stated that Officers of the LSP were attempting to map transport options across the district. Councillor M Wood suggested that that the only reason the two principal bus routes in Bishop’s Stortford were still viable was the significant subsidy provided by BAA Stansted as these routes serviced Stansted Airport.

Members were invited to identify any further areas where they needed further information or clarity in respect of the progress that had been achieved to date.  Members were asked to ensure this feedback was provided to the Parking Manager by 5 pm on Friday 16 March 2012.

Members received the report.

RESOLVED – that (A)any further feedback be submitted to the Parking Manager by 5 pm on Friday 16 March 2012;

(B)   Officers incorporate salient feedback from the Environment Scrutiny Committee into the draft Parking and Transport Strategy document; and

(C)   the draft Parking and Transport Strategy document be recommended to the Executive for approval.