Agenda item - Parking Annual Report 2017-18

Report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture

1)           That the Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee endorses the publication of the Parking Annual Report for 2017/18 under the provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

2)           That the Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee authorises the Head of Parking Services to produce and publish the report, which will be made available on the Council’s website and to stakeholders.

31.1      The Committee considered a report of the Executive Director, Economy, Environment & Culture that requested approval of the publication of the Parking Annual Report 2017-18 for submission to the Department for Transport, Traffic Penalty Tribunal and for general publication under the provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

31.2      Councillor Atkinson noted that 70% of penalty charge appeal cases were won and asked if there were lessons to be learned by the council.

31.3      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager replied that the overall number of appeals received to Penalty Charge Notices (PCN’s) was very low at 1% and at a similar level to other local authorities. In relation to the number of successful appeals, the Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager explained that the council requested evidence at the point of issuing PCN’s however, appellants often submitted this evidence at a very late stage in the appeals process.

31.4      Councillor Miller noted that there had been an increase in Controlled Parking Zones during 2017-18 and queried how this had led to a drop of the issuing of PCN’s by 8% when an increase could be expected. Furthermore, Councillor Miller asked why Car Club permits were decreasing year on year, what dispensation notices were, whether the annual charge for Norton Road car park should be increased given the capacity rate and whether charges for Rottingdean West Street could be increased for 3 hours stay but decreased for 1 and 2 hours stay to encourage use of the High Street.

31.5      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager clarified that extreme weather conditions such as during the winter of 2017/18 were a contributing factor to the decrease in PCN’s as it obscured signage, meant residents and visitors couldn’t access their vehicles and meant Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO’s) were unable to carry out enforcement. Further factors to the decline were the delays in implementation of one CPZ and the work conducted to make it as easy as possible to pay to park meaning compliance was improving. Dispensations were offered to traffic engineers, council staff that needed to park on double yellow lines for emergency purposes and other services that required them. In relation to the increasing and decreasing of charges, the Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager explained that this was set annually under the Fees & Charges report received by the committee.

31.6      Councillor Littman stated that he was pleased to see the introduction of a CEO to keep bus routes free from problematic parking and asked if a similar CEO could be introduced for problematic parking in cycle lanes.

31.7      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager clarified that the CEO for bus lanes was funded by Brighton & Hove Bus Company and any determination on a CEO for cycle lanes would need to be determined by Members and the wider committee.

31.8      Councillor Brown noted that there were three CEO’s conducting enforcement at schools in the city and asked if those officers conducted enforcement outside of school hours.

31.9      The Parking Strategy & Contracts Manager explained that the three CEO’s did carry out enforcement outside CPZ’s in areas where requests were made to the council by residents to do so.

31.10   Councillor Wares suggested several amendments to the content of the report for the purposes of accuracy. Councillor Wares welcomed the allocation of the £2.3m surplus to highway maintenance but queried who had made the decision to do so as the committee may have determined alternative uses.

31.11   In relation the £2.3m surplus, the Assistant Director- City Transport explained that there were strict legal criteria for use of the surplus. That criterion was very detailed so a written briefing could be provided subsequent to the meeting.

31.12   Councillor West stated that he strongly supported the proposal for a CEO for cycle lanes and asked how effective the three CEO’s for schools had been and how many PCN’s had been issued. Councillor West stated that more physical enforcement measures should be introduced such as bollards to prevent anti-social and illegal parking outside schools.

31.13   The Chair stated that many of the issues raised by Councillor West would be detailed in the January report to be received by committee on the matter of enforcement.

31.14   RESOLVED-

1)           That the Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee endorses the publication of the Parking Annual Report for 2017/18 under the provisions of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

2)           That the Environment Transport and Sustainability Committee authorises the Head of Parking Services to produce and publish the report, which will be made available on the Council’s website and to stakeholders.