PAPER D

 

Committee:      ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE

 

Date:                19 DECEMBER 2002

 

Title:               PARKING POLICY

           

REPORT OF THE HEAD OF ENGINEERING SERVICES

 

 

SUMMARY / PURPOSE

 

  1. This report sets out proposed changes in policy in relation to the existing Parking Order for the Isle of Wight in accordance with the demand management strategy encompassed in the Local Transport Plan.

 

BACKGROUND

 

  1. Members will recall that a comprehensive Island-wide parking study was commissioned last year. The study examined public parking provision and usage and provided an overview of parking patterns in the major towns on the Island. A number of issues were raised by the study and were considered by this Select Committee in January this year.  After public consultation, it was agreed that a Car Park Task Group was to be set up to examine some of these issues in more detail. These focussed on charging policy, hours of operation, and permits and the recommendations below reflect and build upon the findings of the Task Group.

 

Charging Policy

 

  1. No clear policy on a charging strategy currently exists and decisions in the past have been made on an ad-hoc basis.

 

  1. Some rationalisation of the charging bands was introduced with the current Parking Places Order, however there still remain eight different tariffs and there is scope to further simplify these to four, namely Long Stay; Short Stay; On-Street Short Stay, and Commercial Vehicles.

 

  1. Pricing policy is the most effective way of managing demand. Theoretically,charges should be set at a level that achieves a 95% occupancy level at peak times however in practice that is not achievable without very complex tariff structures and may result in displacement.

 

  1. The absolute level of charges should be seen as an operational issue, determined by principles and policies approved by members. Such principles should include:

 

 

  1. Members of the Task Group considered evidence that the use of a free afternoons parking in one car park in each of the main towns was not well utilised and should be discontinued, subject to consultation with local business associations.

 

  1. There were also concerns about Council parking areas where the level of charges were set independently, i.e. Browns and Botanic Gardens. Particular problems had been caused at Sandown where the lower rate charged at Brown’s of £2.50 for all day parking as opposed to £4.00 at Yaverland has led to over demand that has displaced bona fide visitors to Browns and Dinosaur Isle. The Task Group felt that the charges at Brown’s should be the same as those at Yaverland.

 

 

Hours of Operation

 

  1. There remain some eight different operating regimes. The surveys commissioned by Mott MacDonald as part of the parking study showed that the actual number of cars arriving in car parks after 6pm was quite low, whereas there was a high take up of parking spaces before 10am. It is therefore proposed that most parking areas are chargeable 8am to 6pm, 7 days per week, 52 weeks per year. The only exemptions to this would be on street sea front areas where charges would not start until 10am; and those parking places that are considered to be seasonal where charges would not be applied out of season, ie after 31st October and before 1st May.

 

Permits

 

10.  The convenience of a parking permit is fully recognised, but all of the existing permits are heavily discounted. This is neither sustainable nor justifiable in best value terms. Permit prices were increased by 20% last year but that still represents a 60% discount based on 240 days use.  The long-term objective is to reduce that discount substantially, last year it was proposed to reduce it to 25% however this attracted considerable objection and was not pursued. The discount for a single nominated car park was also withdrawn last year and it is proposed to reinstate that with a further 15% discount relative to the all Island permit. A phased approach to this strategy is required and I suggest the following:

 

Table A

 

 

All Island Permit

(% discount)

Nominated Car Park

(% discount)

2003

45

60

2004

35

50

2005

25

40

2006

15

30

 

This equates to £395 for a 12 month all Island permit and £290 for a single nominated car park for 2003.

 

  1. Residents permits are currently available for those who live within 100 metres of an off street car park. The Executive have already approved a revised policy for Residents’ Parking that includes a phased withdrawal of these permits where on street schemes are introduced.

 

  1. The Car Park Task Group recommended better marketing of all permits through Tourism and ferry operators.

 

 

Extension of Pay and Display

 

  1. The Parking Study recommended that charging areas be extended into a number of additional on street areas in Newport, Ryde, Sandown and Shanklin as well as review the policy of not charging for certain off street car parks.

 

14.  This matter still needs to be resolved, but I feel it would be more appropriate to consider it as part of the process of decriminalising parking enforcement. I recommend therefore that no new charging areas be introduced as part of this review.

 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

 

  1. The control of car parking is an important traffic management tool in any demand management strategy. Price control is the most effective means of regulating this. Increasing parking charges at above inflation, whilst investing more resources in public transport and other sustainable alternatives to private car use is consistent with the aims and objectives set out in the Council’s Local Transport Plan, namely encouraging travel by sustainable means; make best use of the existing transport infrastructure; enhance the quality of Island life; and managing the demand for travel by controlling the parking supply to discourage commuting using the carrot and stick approach.

 

  1. Simplification of tariffs and operating hours reduces anomalies and creates a fairer system for all, in line with the Council’s corporate objective of high quality Council services.

 

CONSULTATION

 

  1. The proposals for the 2003 Parking Places Order take into account the results of the consultation undertaken earlier this year for the current Order.

 

  1. Any changes approved by the Executive will have to be formally advertised through the Traffic Regulation Order process, which involves both statutory consultees and comments from the general public.

 

FINANCIAL/ BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

 

19.  The cost of advertising the Traffic Regulation Orders associated with any approved changes can be contained within the existing budget.

 

20.  If all the proposals are introduced, they will have a positive impact on income generation, which should be re-invested in the service.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

  1. The relevant powers are contained in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, as amended.  The procedure for introducing Traffic Regulation Orders is set out in the Local Authorities Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England & Wales) Regulations 1996. Any formal objections will be considered by the Executive, and there is a six week period after the making of the final Order when it may be challenged in the High Court, but only on procedural grounds.

 

OPTIONS

 

a.      To recommend the policy changes set out in this report to the Executive.

 

b.      To amend the proposed policy changes.

 

c.       To recommend no change.

 

                       

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

 

  1. Car Parking charges are always a contentious issue and there is a public perception that they are a stealth tax. To minimise this, the contribution  parking revenue makes to public transport support and highway schemes should be highlighted. Better promotion of season tickets is one of the recommendations made by the Car Park Task Group as this is consistent with more open government and also defuses allegations of revenue maximisation. The establishment of a charging policy that is demonstrably linked to a demand management strategy reinforces this.

 

  1. The present level of discount offered on season tickets is unsustainably high. Previous opposition to substantial reductions in discount proposed last year could be mitigated by a phased approach to the reduction as set out in Table A.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

24.  That Option a. is adopted.

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

25.  Agenda and minutes of Environment & Transport Select Committee 21 January 2002.

 

Notes of the meetings of the Car Park Task Group, 26th September and 3rd October 2002.

 

Minutes of Executive meeting 12 March 2002.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

None.

 

CONTACT POINT:       Peter Taylor                 823777            [email protected]

 

 

 

 

                                                                        STEPHEN MATTHEWS

                                                                        Head of Engineering Services

 

APPENDIX A

 

Existing and Proposed Tariffs

 

 

Short Stay Car Parks

Long Stay Car Parks

 

Proposed

Current

 

Proposed

Current

Up to ½ hr

50p

40p

Up to 1/2hr

50p

30p

½ hr to 1 hr

90p

80p

½ hr to 1 hr

90p

50p

1 to 2 hrs

£1.30

£1.20

1 to 4 hrs

£1.20

£1.00

2 to 3 hrs

£1.70

£1.50

4 to 6 hrs

£1.70

£1.50

3 to 4 hrs

£2.20

£2.00

6 to 24 hrs

£3.00

£2.50

4 to 5 hours

£3.00

£2.80

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short Stay (On-street) Newport

Coaches / HGV

 

Proposed

Existing

 

Proposed

Existing

Up to ½ hr

60p

40p

Up to 4 hrs

£6.00

£5.00

½ to 1 hr

£1.00

80p

4 to 24 hrs

£10.00

£8.00

1 to 2 hrs

£1.40

£1.20