Issue - meetings

Note - EIA’s will be updated for proposals following consultation and before changes are implemented. This will specifically consider the potential disproportionate impact on disabled people. Where new proposals are brought forward these will include full consideration of due regard.

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive resolved to:

1)    Support a consistent approach to parking across Somerset, including:

a.    The introduction of parking charges on Sundays, as set out in appendix 2

b.    The introduction of charging in free to use carparks, as set out in appendix 3

c.     The introduction of on-street charging in limited waiting bays as set out in appendix 4

2)    Acknowledge the increase resource requirements to deliver and maintain these changes

3)    Instruct officers to explore options for Capital upgrades to parking machine infrastructure across Somerset so that all machines have Cash, Card & Phone payments options”

4)    Acknowledging the feedback from the scrutiny committee and others, further commits that:

a.    It will not proceed with the implementation of a Somerset-wide overnight parking charge

b.    Prior to a final decision being made, and the implementation of a new Somerset-wide approach to charging for parking being brought in, further work will be done to understand and economic impact of the proposals, and that local communities will be given the ability to have their views taken into account on any proposed changes’

c.     That there will be a further opportunity for Scrutiny to consider the proposed changes

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, invited the Lead Member for Transport and Waste, Cllr Richard Wilkins, to introduce the report. Cllr Wilkins highlighted that these proposals would be bringing together the inconsistent parking practices from predecessor councils to make them fairer and more consistent and that the proposals had gone to Scrutiny Committee – Corporate and Resources.

Cllr Wilkins invited the Vice-Chair of Scrutiny Committee – Corporate and Resources, Cllr Henry Hobhouse, to speak. Cllr Hobhouse highlighted: the engagement of every member of the Committee on this topic; the improved Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) following Scrutiny comment on disability; that some car parks are operated by the town or village council to enable continued free parking; and the importance of car parks for people who live in accommodation with no parking.

Cllr Wilkins noted that based on the feedback from the Scrutiny committee and the public there would be an amendment to the recommendations removing the Somerset-wide overnight parking charge, and that there would be further consultation and scrutiny before the changes are implemented. 

Cllr Wilkins proceeded to hand over to Executive Director Community, Place and Economy, Chris Hall, who explained: that charging practices would be standardised; there would be a formal consultation of 6 weeks prior to implementation; that the necessary resource would need to be recruited into the team; there is headroom in the budget for mitigations which covers the changed proposal for overnight charges; and that the final decision on parking orders would come back to Executive.

The Leader of the Council invited comments from Committee Members and other Members present, with officers providing responses as appropriate. Questions and points raised included: whether mitigations would result in charges not being applied uniformly across the county; the impact on local businesses on car park charges; areas of Somerset that have nuisance or antisocial parking and if there will be a different approach; the challenges town centre economies are already facing and the importance of consulting with them; limited waiting charging; possible wider benefits of these changes; that this policy may have wider impacts than shown in the EIA; the particular risk in areas where parking is currently free; if there are alternative funding sources to cover maintaining free parking in some areas; that the option for dialogue with City/Town Councils for funding is still open; clarification on restricted waiting bays; whether the survey on the Economic Development Strategy was included in considering this; what the result would be if the consultation response was wholly negative; the impact on parish council precepts; which changes apply to blue badge holders; the governance route for this decision; the inclusion of it as a saving in the 25/26 budget; the impact of Sunday charges on trade in Taunton; the rationale for policy harmonisation; the risk involved in including this policy in the 25/26 budget; the difficulties traders in Bridgwater are facing due to roadworks and the further detrimental impact on them of this policy; the different standards of public  ...  view the full minutes text for item 31