APPENDIX A
Parking Services Policy Library
Introduction
These documents form the operational guidance and strategic link for Parking Customer Services. It gives clear direction and limitations on decisions officers make.
Approval committee date: ETS committee Sept 2022
1.2 Aim of Policy
This policy document sets out the eligibility requirements for obtaining a concession, parking permit, or requesting changes to parking permits. In addition to meeting audit requirements the approval of this document formalises the procedures already in place, promotes consistency, and supports officers in their decision making to ensure only those eligible receive the concession.
1.3 Policy Scope
The policy is subordinate to any legislation, central government guidance or local corporate policy that covers these areas of administration.
1.4 Council’s Corporate strategy
The parking policy is directly linked to improving access to the city for disabled people, by allowing Blue Badge holders to park in permit bays in light touch parking schemes and encouraging residents to make choices that support the council’s carbon neutral strategy.
1.5 Equalities Impact Assessment
EIA no. currently in draft
1.6 Lasts reviewed by and date:
First issue
Contents - Parking Permits
1 Fees, Charges & Refunds ………………………3
2 Resident’s Permit ………………………… 4
3 Event Day / Match Day Permits ………………….. 5
4 Change of Address ………………………… 6
5 Change of Vehicle ………………………… 7
6 Duplicate Permit ………………………… 9
7 Resident Visitor Permit ………………………… 10
8 Carer Permit ………………………… 12
9 Business Permit ………………………13
10 Hotel Visitor Permit ………………………… 14
11 Trader Permit ………………………… 15
12 School Permit ………………………… 16
13 Doctor’s Permit ………………………17
14 Parking Dispensation ………………………18
15 Car Park Permit ………………………19
16 Professional Carers Badge (PCB) ………………… 20
17 Car Club …………………………. 22
18 Car Free …………………………. 23
19 Surcharges ………………………27
Appendix 1
All fees and charges for parking permits can be found in the latest fees and charges committee documents. The cost may vary depending upon, if the permit holder is also a Blue Badge holder or lives with a Blue Badge holder, car emissions, Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) and how many vehicles are in a household.
Pro rata payment must be made if the new permanent vehicle is subject to a higher permit fee.
Refunds due are calculated per calendar day.
No refunds are given for permits surrendered where only an administration fee only has been paid, for example a Blue Badge holder Resident Permit or an Event Day Resident Permit.
A pro rata refund may be applied for where an applicant has been issued a Blue Badge during the life cycle of the Resident Permit that has been paid in full.
A pro rata refund for the remaining complete calendar days will be applied for when moving address.
A pro rata refund for remaining calendar days will be issued where a vehicle is changed and a refund due to lower emissions.
A refund will not be issued for a temporary change.
A pro rata refund for the remaining complete calendar days can be applied for.
Refunds will be made to the original named purchaser of the permit.
An administration fee of £10 will be charged for all refunds.
This document sets out the eligibility for a Resident’s Permit and applies to both Full and Light-touch Controlled Parking Zones and Event Day Parking Zones.
Eligibility
The applicant must meet the residency criteria by providing two documents to verify residency. Please see appendix 1 for acceptable proofs.
Upon a renewal application, only the accepted documents listed in appendix 1 will be accepted.
Only lease/hire agreements in excess of 6 months will be accepted. Shorter lease/hire agreements will not qualify for a Resident’s Permit. Concessions will only be made in exceptional circumstances and at the service manager discretion.
All applicants will be required to complete an application for assessment and the vehicle’s Co2 emissions charge band will be automatically matched.
All applicants who hold a Blue Badge will be required to provide the Blue Badge number to claim the permit charge waiver.
In cases where the applicant has applied for a Blue Badge which has not yet been granted at the time of the resident permit application, the full permit charge will apply. However, a pro rata refund may be claimed once the Blue Badge is granted.
All applicants will be required to prove their vehicle length, weight and height if required to facilitate the application assessment.
Any vehicle exceeding 6 metres in length, 2540Kg in weight or 2.25 metres in height will not qualify for a resident’s parking permit. Concessions will only be made in exceptional circumstances and at service manager discretion.
All applicants are required to declare that they agree to have their Council Tax records checked to facilitate the assessment process.
All applicants will be required to declare their application address is:
· not a ‘second home’
· they are not a landlord
· the application address is not a holiday home
· not designated a Car-Free development
Resident’s Permits will not be issued where an applicant has been identified within one of the four categories listed above.
Conditions of use
To claim the parking concession, a Resident’s Permit must be displayed on the vehicle’s windscreen or dashboard in a way that is clearly visible to a Civil Enforcement Officer. Failure to display the permit in such manner may result in the issue of a Penalty Charge Notice.
Resident’s Event Day / Match Day Permits must meet the eligibility criteria for Residents’ Permits and provide the necessary proof documents for address and vehicle, including VRM. There is no limit to the number of vehicles a resident can apply for, but all vehicles must be kept at the address and the normal proof documents supplied on application.
Residents are also entitled to purchase 1 Guest Permit per resident to allow guests to park during Event Days / Match Days. These Guest Permits are not VRM specific.
Conditions of use
To claim the parking concession, a Resident’s Permit / Guest Permit must be displayed on the vehicle’s windscreen or dashboard in a way that is clearly visible to a Civil Enforcement Officer. Failure to display the permit in such manner may result in the issue of a Penalty Charge Notice.
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for Event Day / Match Day Permits as an administration fee covers the original charge made.
Eligibility
The permit holder must notify the council of their change of address and surrender their parking permit when moving address.
A resident with a valid Blue Badge automatically qualifies for a change of address for their resident parking permit. The signed application must be submitted with supporting evidence of the new residency.
People with proof of Power of Attorney for a resident living in a CPZ – the application must be made in the resident’s name and proof of their residency supplied. To ensure eligibility, address verification is required. Please see appendix 1 for list of accepted documents
Updated vehicle documents at the correct address are required to be submitted on renewal.
The permit holder must surrender the physical valid permit for the previous CPZ and submit the supporting evidence as part of the application. This must be submitted via MyAccount or returned to Parking Services by post or through the Council’s Contact Management system and a photo of their destroyed permit should be uploaded. The permit should be cut into 4 parts and remain legible in the photo and then a new permit can be issued.
A new permit will only be issued on receipt of the completed application, payment due, old permit if required and address / vehicle documentation. If no physical permit has been issued to the permit holder, e.g., if the permit is virtual, then we do not require the permit returned.
The expiry date of the updated permit will remain the same if the permit holder moves to an address within the existing CPZ. If the permit holder moves to an address which is in a different CPZ, the existing permit is refunded and a new one must be purchased.
The change of a permit can be applied for on behalf of the permit holder, with written consent from the permit holder.
Waiting List
If moving within the same CPZ and a permit is already held, then the applicant will not be required to re-join the waiting list. If moving to a different CPZ where there is a waiting list, the applicant will be required to re-join the waiting list.
If the permit holder moves from a non-waiting list CPZ into a CPZ holding a waiting list, a change of address cannot be applied for. The current valid permit must be surrendered before an application to the waiting list can be made.
Conditions of use
A valid permit for the current CPZ must be always on display inside the vehicle. Failure to do so could result in Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) being issued.
This document sets out the eligibility for a change of vehicle on a Resident, Car Share, Trader, Business, Carer’s and Norton Road Car Park Permit, both permanent and temporary.
Eligibility
The permit holder must update their parking permit when changing their vehicle.
People with proof of Power of Attorney for a resident living in a CPZ – the application must be made in the resident’s name and one proof of their residency supplied.
To ensure eligibility, verification of residency and the new permanent vehicle is required. Please see appendix 1 for accepted documents
Permanent Change of Vehicle
The permit holder must surrender the physical valid permit with the previous Vehicle Registration Mark and submit the supporting evidence as stated with the application. This must be submitted via MyAccount or returned to Parking Services by post or through the councils Contact Management system and a photo of their destroyed permit should be uploaded. The permit should be cut into 4 parts and remain legible in the photo and then a new permit can be issued.
A new permit will only be issued on receipt of the completed application, payment due, old permit, proof of address and vehicle documentation.
If no physical permit has been issued to the permit holder, e.g., if the permit is virtual, we do not require the permit returned.
The expiry date of the updated permit will remain the same.
The permanent change of a vehicle can be applied for on behalf of the permit holder, with written consent from the permit holder.
Temporary Change of Vehicle
Anyone holding a valid permit, can apply for a temporary flag to be issued to cover a temporary vehicle. The temporary flag must not be used to avoid paying charges due because of a change in vehicle. Temporary flags last for 14days and the permit holder can apply for a maximum of three flags during the life of the permit If the change exceeds 42days then a permanent change of vehicle must be made.
Conditions of use
The flag can only cover one vehicle at any one time and is vehicle specific.
Once the flag is expired, or the maximum duration available has been used up, alternative parking must be sought.
Replacement
If the old permit cannot be retrieved, a Duplicate Permit will be issued. Application to be submitted where the permit holder must state the circumstances. Proof of this is required.
Discretion / Exceptional Circumstances
In exceptional circumstances which fall outside the eligibility criteria, discretion to issue additional time will be considered by a manager or Team Leader of the customer service team.
An example of exceptional circumstances includes the vehicle waiting for parts or extensive repair of the vehicle. Proof of the exceptional circumstance is required.
This document sets out the eligibility and requirements for an application for any physical duplicate permit.
Eligibility
To ensure permit holders are eligible, verification of residency is required. Please see appendix 1 for accepted documents. A new permit will only be issued on receipt of the completed application and any payment due.
The expiry date of the duplicated permit will remain the same.
Discretion / Exceptional Circumstances
Parking Services are not able to duplicate a permit without the requested documents, and a new permit must be applied for. In this case, a refund on the unavailable permit, cannot be requested.
Resident Visitor Permit allocations
The annual allocation runs from the date of the first purchase for a rolling year and will be refreshed at that date each year after. Resident Visitor Permits not purchased are not carried forward to the next rolling year.
The amount of Resident Visitor Permits allocated depends in which CPZ the resident lives in and is set out in the most recent years fees and charges committee documents.
Additional / discretionary permits may be issued in exceptional circumstances such as a bereavement.
Eligibility
Residents of Brighton & Hove living in a CPZ aged 16 or older who reside at the address for 5 nights per week or more.
Or
Second Homeowners with property in a CPZ, if they live outside of a BHCC CPZ.
People with proof of Power of Attorney for a resident living in a CPZ – the application must be made in the resident’s name and two proofs of their residency supplied.
To ensure residents are eligible, verification of residency is required. When applying online we will attempt to match the data with existing council records. However, if we are unable to verify residency of the applicant, we will require 2 documents to verify your address. Please see appendix 1 for list of accepted documents.
Resident Visitor Permits are not available for Businesses, including holiday rental properties.
Landlords do not qualify for Resident Visitor Permits
Residents not living in a CPZ are not eligible to apply for visitor permits
Resident Visitor Permits allow parking for one calendar day.
Resident Visitor permits have an expiry date.
The permits are valid for a minimum of 12 months.
A minimum of 12 months will be available on the Resident Visitor Permits as they are intended to be an annual allocation to be used in that rolling year.
Customers should purchase the amount they require for their rolling year, as expired permits are non-refundable. Expired permits cannot be used.
Residents wanting to purchase visitor permits at a new address are required to provide proof of residency at the new address.
Residents with valid Resident Visitor Permits for an old address can exchange them for Resident Visitor Permits valid within the new parking zone. The permits will need to be returned to parking services at the address below for us to exchange them. A new allocation will be given for the new address.
Refunds
Resident Visitor Permits are non-transferable and non-refundable.
If the resident moves out of the city or no longer lives in a CPZ we will refund any valid Resident Visitor Permits not used. They will be refunded at the price paid for them at the time of purchase. The permits must be returned before the refund is completed and Council records checked to verify the move.
Non-Receipt of Permits
Any Visitor Permits not received by a resident must be reported within 28 days from the date of process/postage. We do not replace any Resident Visitor Permits after this time.
Replacement
We do not replace any Resident Visitor Permits that have been damaged or filled in incorrectly.
Discretion / Exceptional Circumstances
Discretion to issue Resident Visitor Permits in exceptional circumstances which fall outside the eligibility criteria will be considered by a manager or Team Leader of the customer service team. Visitor permits remain chargeable when discretion is applied.
An example of exceptional circumstances can include a medical need or bereavement. Additional examples include issuing Resident Visitor Permits to relatives of a resident, who lived in a CPZ, and has died and their house needs to be cleared or the need for visitor permits to assist with funeral arrangements. Proof of the exceptional circumstance will be required.
This document sets out the eligibility for a carers permit.
Eligibility
The applicant is the carer however, the eligibility assessment is carried out on the ‘person to be cared for’ as the resident.
The ‘person to be cared for’ must provide a declaration signed by their GP to confirm that they require to be care for. This declaration is required upon any new application or renewal of a carer’s permit. Any charge made by the GP is to be paid for by the applicant or the carer.
To ensure eligibility, address verification is required both for the person to be cared for and for the carer. A list of accepted documents is listed in appendix 1
The
permit itself is issued in the carers name, as the permit
user.
An application form must be completed and submitted.
Conditions of use
Carer Permits must only be used by the carer while carrying out their duties of care to the ‘person to be cared for’ and not for any other reason.
Permits can only be used to park in the zone specified on the permit in a permit or shared use bay.
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for Carers Permits as an administration fee covers the original charge made.
This document sets out the eligibility for a business permit.
Eligibility
Permits will not be issued for commuting purposes or to provide general parking. The applicant must demonstrate a genuine need that a vehicle is needed to carry out day to day work. A need to load/unload to the business premises is not a qualifying criterion. The applicant will be required to fill in a questionnaire to help establish eligibility. People who are required to regularly leave and return to their business premises because their business and customer transactions occur away from the business premises. For example, estate agents, surveyors, chiropodist.
To ensure eligibility, address verification is required. These are specified in Appendix 1
A vehicle document is not required for this permit.
Business permits are not available for parking zones Y & Z.
A maximum of 2 permits per business applies in all cases.
This document sets out the eligibility for hotel visitor permits
Refund
Hotel visitor permits are non-refundable and non-exchangeable. In the event a hotel closes or moves out of the CPZ refunds will be issued for remaining valid permits returned.
Eligibility
The applicant must own, run or manage a hotel within the city in parking zones C or N.
To
ensure eligibility, verification is required. Documents must be
dated within 3 months and addressed to the hotel or its business
group. A list of accepted documents can be found in Appendix 1.
Documents addressed to small guest house owners (individuals) will
be assessed on a case-by-case basis.
A cap to the number of hotel visitor permits applies. This is calculated in the first application. The cap is allocated to the hotel’s account after the initial assessment.
Number of bedrooms rooms available minus number of rooms let to a resident, off street parking places and resident permits held plus 1 x 365 = maximum number of permits available to purchase.
Conditions of use
Hotel visitor permits must only be used by the hotel’s visitors and cannot be re-sold to hotel guests or anyone else for a profit. Any hotel found to be doing this will not be sold any further permits.
This document sets out the eligibility for a trader’s permit.
Eligibility
Traders
Permits are only issued to those who are required to use their
vehicle as a mobile workshop or are unable to carry out their job
without access to the vehicle. To ensure eligibility, verification
is required. One proof of trading is required. An application form
must be completed for assessment. Accepted documents to
verify business address are in appendix 1.
A vehicle document is not required for this permit.
This document sets out the eligibility for a School Permit.
Eligibility
Only the Headteacher of a School or a Nursery Manager may apply for a School Permit.
The application must be made in the School/Nursery name with the Headteacher/Nursery Manager as the responsible party for administering the permit.
Applications must be submitted once yearly to comply with eligibility criteria. Ad-hoc applications will be considered at the Council’s discretion and charged on a pro-rata basis.
To ensure eligibility.
verification
of teaching staff numbers is required. The document must be letter
headed and dated within 3 months. It must contain a list of all
teaching staff names and current positions. The application must be
completed by the Headteacher/Nursery manager.
The school must be Ofsted or ISI (Independent School Inspectorate) Registered.
Must complete 2 new items on a checklist that is different to the year before. All the items on the checklist will promote active and sustainable travel.
Must complete a survey (10% of staff must complete the survey).
Please note that the School Parking Permits will be issued using a new formula. The formula will deduct the amount of off-street parking bays a school has declared, before calculating the ‘1 permit to every 6-teaching staff ratio’, up to a maximum of 25, within full parking schemes.
Within light touch schemes, the formula will deduct the amount of off-street parking bays a school has declared, before calculating the permit allocation which is ‘1 permit to every 3- teaching staff’ ratio, up to a maximum of 50.
No vehicle documentation is required as School Permits are shared between teaching staff.
School Permits must only be used by teaching staff while carrying out their duties and not for any other reason.
13 Doctor’s Permits
An annual Doctor’s Permit must be obtained and be on display in the vehicle when this is parked in the doctor’s parking bay.
Eligibility
Applicant must certify that they work at the surgery address provided and that no off-street parking is available or allocated to them at the address for the vehicle. They undertake that if they cease to work within the area to which the permit relates, or cease to keep and use the vehicle, the registration number of which is shown on the permit, they will surrender the Doctors Permit.
The Doctor’s Bay charge is £100 per year. A doctor’s parking bay is available for doctors who require a bay sited near their surgery or consulting room, enabling a quick response to emergency call outs. Doctors' parking bays are not provided to enable routine home visits or other non-emergency vehicle use.
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for Doctors Permits as the fee covers the original charge made for the Doctors Bay.
The Dispensation must be clearly displayed on the dashboard with the parking clock set to show the quarter hour period during which the vehicle arrived.
Dispensation Permit will be offered to those who provide essential services in the city to keep it running, and to council workers who are required to make short and frequent stops throughout the city to provide essential services.
Only the vehicle stated on the permit can park in permit bays in any controlled parking zone, for up to 1 hour and on yellow lines for up to 30 minutes (except where there is a loading ban in place indicated by chevron kerb markings), providing the vehicle is not parked dangerously or causing obstruction.
Eligibility
Application for a parking dispensation can be submitted by the employee or employer on behalf of the staff requiring a dispensation to carry out essential duties.
A cover letter must be submitted as part of the application. It should be on headed paper from management confirming:
- essential duties which are to be carried out
- stay will be no longer than permitted while using dispensation
- Window cleaners need to provide a copy of their liability Insurance that states they are providing window cleaning services
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for Dispensation Permits.
15 Car Parks
This document sets out the eligibility for a Car Park permit.
Eligibility
Car Park Permits will only be issued for the following sites
Application for a Car Park Permit can be submitted by an individual, a Councillor, the employee, or employer on behalf of the staff requiring a permit.
Conditions of use
A valid permit for the Car Park must be always displayed inside the vehicle. Failure to do so could result in Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) being issued.
Norton Road Councillor/Staff Permits are valid Mon – Fri Only.
16 Professional Carer’s Badge (PCB)
This document sets out the eligibility for a Professional Carers Badge/Permit.
The PCB must be clearly displayed on the dashboard with the parking clock set to show the quarter hour period during which the vehicle arrived.
Eligibility
A Professional Carer’s Badge is intended for those who regularly engage in the provision of medical or clinical care away from their usual place of work to individuals in their homes and can be applied for on an individual basis or by a Company / Medical organisation.
For companies, PCBs need to be allocated to staff by the organisation / practice / department / team manager as appropriate to fulfil their operational needs.
This includes:
· Doctors on call
· Community midwives
· chiropractors
· physiotherapists
· staff involved in rehabilitation
· community nurses
· occupational therapists
· carers offering care in the community such as feeding and washing
· medical technicians
· psychiatric nurses
· school nurses (travelling throughout the CPZ - not based at a school)
This is not an exclusive list and all types of medical and clinical care that is provided in the community should be considered.
Application for a PCB can be submitted by the employee or employer on behalf of the staff requiring a PCB to carry out carers’ duties.
A cover letter must be submitted as part of the application. It should be on headed paper from management confirming:
- duties which are to be carried out
- stay will be no longer than permitted while using the PCB
Individual VRMs are preferable however at the request of a line/fleet manager we can list ANY on a PCB if pool vehicles are being used.
Conditions of use
PCBs must only be used by a Professional Carer when providing care at a patient’s home, including emergency situations. It cannot be used for workplace parking.
PCBs can only be used to park for up to 2 hours in:
· Pay and display bays
· Shared use bays
· Permit holder bays
· Yellow lines with no loading ban if there are no other spaces
The PCB should not be displayed if it is not in use.
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for PCB Permits.
This document sets out the eligibility for a Car Club Permit.
Car Clubs offer car hire to their members who pay a membership fee to the Car Club. Businesses can also buy a Car Club membership. Cars belonging to the Car Club normally have a dedicated parking space. This refers to a marked area at the side of a general highway that has been legally allocated for the specific purpose of parking a Car Club Vehicle. The area will usually be signified using road signs, painted lines and wording.
Eligibility
The applicant must be a representative for the Car Club.
Conditions of use
To claim the parking concession, the Car Club vehicle must be fully branded with the Car Club Company’s name/logo when the vehicle is parked in the Car Club parking bay. A permit is not required nor needs to be displayed.
The Car Club Parking Bay is charged for on an annual basis. The Car Club Company is responsible for ensuring their allocated Car Club bays are renewed annually.
The Car Club Company must not apply for / retain Car Club parking bays if no vehicle has been assigned to that bay.
Refunds
No refunds are applicable for Car Club concessions as the fee covers the charge for the bay.
In the absence of any instruction or directive made or secured through the Planning process regarding ‘car free’ status, any new developments in all Controlled Parking Zones will be eligible to apply for Residential Parking Permits and the capacity levels for the individual zones would be controlled by ‘Waiting Lists’.
All existing developments with Car Free status would remain Car Free and requests to remove Car Free status would need to be through representation at the relevant Committee for consideration.
Eligibility
Please refer to part 2 of this Appendix for Residents Permits Eligibility.
This document sets out any Resident Permit Surcharges for applications made at the same address and applies to both Full and Light-Touch Controlled Parking Zones.
The point at which someone applies, or renews, is the point at which their position in the household is calculated. If they are permit holder number 1 at this point, they will have the base price, with no surcharge.
First Applicant – total charge = base price
Second Applicant – total charge = base price + 1st surcharge
Third or more Applicants – total charge = base price + 2nd surcharge
(NB – base price will vary depending upon which emissions band the vehicle attracts)
Surcharges do not apply for the following exemptions:
· Blue Badge holders – normal administration price chargeable for Blue Badge holders
· Electric Vehicle owners – base price for Low Emissions chargeable with no surcharge applied
· Residents on low income (Council Tax reduction, Housing Benefit, Universal Credit) – discounted base price chargeable with no surcharge applied
(The exempt applicant’s vehicle will still count towards the total number of vehicles at a property, so any subsequent applicants will pay the surcharge attached to their household position, E.g. If the first person to apply is a Blue Badge Holder, the next person in the same household will pay the second permit price)
Acceptable address verification documents for permits
The
document must be dated within 3 months unless otherwise
stated.
Accepted documents include.
Accepted vehicle documents include:
Accepted documents to verify address for permits issued to business or professionals
The document must be dated within 3 months unless otherwise stated.