Agenda item

To consider a report of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration

The report reviews the results of the consultation on proposed changes to the Council’s Residential Parking Policy.

The Scrutiny Committee is requested to comment on the revised policy.

Officer Contact: Megan Black on 0161 218 1410 or e mail: megan.black@stockport.gov.uk

A representative of the Corporate Director for Place Management and Regeneration submitted a report (copies of which had been circulated) reviewing the results of the consultation on proposed changes to the Council’s Residential Parking Policy to improve its consistency, ensure more enforcement and ensure the costs of the permit better reflected the costs of the schemes. The draft policy had been developed following an internal audit report and consultation on the existing policy and its implementation.

The report would be considered by the Executive at its meeting on 12 November 2013.

The Executive Councillor (Economic Development and Regeneration) (Councillor Iain Roberts) attended the meeting to respond to Members’ questions.

The following comments were made/issues raised:-

·         A Member felt that the proposed charges would generate income for the Council rather than cover the cost of the service. He expressed concern that a flat rate charge was regressive as those from the lower socio-economic groupings were more likely to park on-street and so desire residents’ parking schemes. Another Member felt that those from the lower socio-economic groups should be financially supported by the Council as he considered that they were being penalised for something which was not their fault.

·         A Member expressed concern that existing free schemes (excluding Town Centre and Edgeley Park events zones) would only be left free until they needed refreshing which would be triggered by planned relining of the carriageway or planned (carriageway and/or footway) maintenance.

·         A Member felt that there should be more enforcement of existing free schemes.

·         A Member felt that the appeals mechanism should be reviewed in six or twelve months’ time.

·         The proposed charges were comparable with other local authorities.

·         Charges for public transport had been increasing for some time.

It was then

MOVED AND SECONDED

‘That this Scrutiny Committee

i)    Welcomes the decision not to introduce charging for the Edgeley Park Events Zones;

(ii)  Does not support imposing extra charges on residents given the squeeze on incomes from the cost of living crisis and the impact increasing permit costs will have on low income families and people on fixed incomes;

(iii) Does not support forcing residents with existing free schemes to move to chargeable schemes when necessary maintenance is needed on the carriageway and footways;

(iv) Regrets that more has not been done to investigate how the average £13,000 cost of creating a residents’ parking scheme could be reduced;

(v)  Regrets that residents will now fear that permit charges will rise year on year due to the decision to set charges through the Council’s Fees and Charges system from 1st April 2014;

(vi) Calls on the Executive to reject the Residential Parking Policy, as set out in Appendix 7, and to think again.

For the motion 3, against 3, abstentions 2

The Chair exercised his casting vote in favour the motion.

MOTION CARRIED

A recorded vote was requested in relation to the voting on this motion and the voting was recorded as follows:-

The councillors who voted for the motion were Councillors Richard Coaton, Philip Harding and David Sedgwick

The councillors who voted against the motion were Councillors Andrew Bispham, Kevin Hogg and Craig Wright.

The councillors who abstained were Councillors Syd Lloyd and John Smith.

It was then

RESOLVED – That the Executive be recommended to give consideration to the comments of the Scrutiny Committee and the following resolutions:-

This Scrutiny Committee

(i)   Welcomes the decision not to introduce charging for the Edgeley Park Events Zones;

(ii)  Does not support imposing extra charges on residents given the squeeze on incomes from the cost of living crisis and the impact increasing permit costs will have on low income families and people on fixed incomes;

(iii) Does not support forcing residents with existing free schemes to move to chargeable schemes when necessary maintenance is needed on the carriageway and footways;

(iv) Regrets that more has not been done to investigate how the average £13,000 cost of creating a residents’ parking scheme could be reduced;

(v)  Regrets that residents will now fear that permit charges will rise year on year due to the decision to set charges through the Council’s Fees and Charges system from 1st April 2014;

(vi) Calls on the Executive to reject the Residential Parking Policy, as set out in Appendix 7, and to think again.