Agenda item - Residents car parking permits

Report of the Executive Director, Finance & Resources (copy attached).

1)           That the Audit & Standards Committee notes that:

·         based on extrapolation up to 700 residents parking permits may be held by individuals who are not entitled to them

·         control improvements have been agreed with the service that should both prevent and identify fraudulent applications and significantly reduce the associated fraud risk to the council.

9.1         The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Finance & Resources that summarised the results of 2015/16 audit work into residents parking permits. Internal Audit had used data from the council tax system to identify potential fraudulent applications. The investigation related to a potential risk identified in the council’s arrangements for preventing and detecting fraudulent applications in a review of residents parking permits conducted in 2014/15.

9.2         Councillor Taylor asked if there was any other method to recover fraudulent permits other than via amnesty.

9.3         The Head of Internal stated that any parking permits fraudulently obtained would be returned on the date of renewal due to the new controls put into place.

9.4         Councillor Druitt stated that residents had reported to him that there was ongoing misuse of permits in car free developments.

9.5         The Head of Internal requested that Councillor Druitt send him details of any incidents so they could be investigated.

9.6         RESOLVED-

1)           That the Audit & Standards Committee notes that:

·         based on extrapolation up to 700 residents parking permits may be held by individuals who are not entitled to them

·         control improvements have been agreed with the service that should both prevent and identify fraudulent applications and significantly reduce the associated fraud risk to the council.