1
To provide members with a strategic overview of parking
demand management as part of the Council’s ongoing development of an Integrated
Transport Strategy.
2
To obtain an overview of the recently published Parking
Places Order and the responses received to date prior to consideration by the
Executive.
3
None
4
At previous meetings the Committee has indicated that it
would like to receive a report which puts into context the parking charges
allocated to separate parking locations across the Island. As the proposed revision to the Council’s
Parking Places Order has recently been the subject of wide formal consultation,
it is a timely opportunity for the Committee to appreciate the revisions in
this wider policy context.
5
The Parking Places Order is attached in Appendix
A and will be considered for decision by the Executive on 5 May taking into
account the extensive representations which have been made and which are
summarised in Appendix
B. Copies of the representations
which have been received have been made available in the Members’ Room.
6 As part of the Council’s Local Transport Plan, demand management is recognised as an important part of the toolkit in developing improvements to transport on the Island. To put this into context the rest of this section of the report will consider the issues under the following headings:-
·
Congestion and Sustainability
·
Public Transport and the Private Car
·
Integrated Transport Solutions
·
Parking Places Order Revisions
·
Overview of Consultation Representations
7 The current unprecedented interest in transport arises largely as a result of growing concern over the environmental implications of road traffic congestion as a result of the increasing dependency on the private car. Across the UK there is increasing and widespread concern about the problems resulting from traffic congestion, from pollution and inadequate alternative public transport services. On the Island the current situation has resulted in traffic and transport issues being at the top of the local communities’ concerns whenever any consultation is undertaken.
8
Over the last 30 years, car ownership rates in the UK have
grown significantly and this in turn has led to a dramatic increase in the
amount of traffic on roads. The Island
has also experienced a substantial increase in traffic and there are currently
some 65,000 cars and vans registered on the Island. As car ownership rates have increased and people have become more
mobile, their lifestyles and travel patterns particularly in a rural location
have become increasingly car-dependent.
Over the same period, public transport has been in steady decline and
bus travel in particular has been badly affected by increased car usage,
traffic congestion and higher fares resulting from reduced patronage.
9
Increased use of private cars poses a threat to the
long-term supply of natural resources to provide fuel and inevitably the
environmental costs as well as the affordability of fuel will increase unless
this consumption is in some way reduced.
On the Island the lower mileages travelled has tended to increase the
age of cars on the road which produce high levels of emissions and are far less
efficient in their use of fuel. Whilst
these vehicles provide a cheap alternative means of transport, they contribute
to increasing levels of congestion. The
volume of cars which now need to be parked on the Island is contributing to a
reduction in the amenity value of the environment.
10 Roads and
car parks have in the past been developed on a predict and provide basis. Experience has shown that even if there was
money available to increase the size of our roads and the number of car parks,
increasing capacity only leads to more congestion and more pollution in the
long-term. Therefore, as road and car
parking space will not be increased, the current provision must be managed as
effectively and efficiently as possible.
11 It is
recognised in the Local Transport Plan that there is a need to develop and
introduce parking strategies for each of the Island’s towns which discourage
commuters, control on-street parking in favour of residents and those who have
mobility impairment, and strengthen the enforcement of on-street parking
regulations. Controlling public car
parking is an important part of any strategy but cannot be considered in
isolation because of the migratory effect it can cause and any charging policy
needs to be flexible enough to reflect the particular demands put upon
individual parking areas.
12 It is widely recognised on the Island that public transport services are not delivered at a price which actively encourages reduction in the dependency on the private car. The rural nature of the Island does make it difficult to provide traditional bus services at economic rates of return for operators. The provision of bus subsidies to support school transport, youth movement and concessions for the elderly are becoming an increasingly large call on the Council’s budgets.
13 Through
the Council’s Local Transport Package Bid to the government, there have been
repeated calls for additional funding to support the delivery of appropriate
transport services on the Island.
Regrettably support from the government has been limited in this area
and the Council has needed to find additional funding to support the
development of subsidised public transport services. The Council is continuing to review the efficient use of funding
for these services but it is inevitable that if developments are to be
achieved, additional funding is needed from an alternative source. In view of the extremely large maintenance
liability the Council currently has for existing roads infrastructure, there is
no flexibility in this source of funding.
The only other source of income generation within the highways budget
arises from its car parking assets. Consequently, as part of the Council’s
budget setting process, each year it has to carefully think through the
potential income which can be raised from its off-street car parks which could
support new initiatives to develop public transport services and particularly
in the current financial year to support existing deficits as a result of the
cost of implementing the concessionary far scheme.
14 As
mentioned earlier in this report, the use of the private car undermines the
usage of public transport which in turn means that operators find it difficult
to maintain affordable fare levels.
Inevitably the holistic cost of owning cars on the Island needs to be
taken into account in the Council’s emerging Integrated Transport
Strategy. The availability of parking
spaces and road space for a growing number of vehicles is limited and
consequently will need to be managed through price controls. The balance which the Council needs to
strike is ensuring that pricing policies used across the Island continue to be
equitable and reflect the economic situation in individual locations.
15 In
developing parking strategies and demand management, the Council will
inevitably be seen as conspiring to control the individual’s right to freely
use an asset which is held in high esteem.
Consequently any changes which introduce car parking charges to new
areas and/or higher levels will be resisted on the basis of a strong emotional
response. As a result the Council will
need to recognise parking demand management is an important part in its toolkit
for the development of integrated transport solutions which everyone on the
Island will sign up to, provided somebody else bears the cost.
16 Is part of
developing the Local Transport Plan, the Council will need to develop
integrated transport solutions which help to reduce road traffic in line with
government legislation and regional policies.
At any point in time the Council’s Integrated Transport Strategy is
unlikely to be complete as each year it will only be able to allocate a limited
amount of its available resources to develop new initiatives. In addition the changes required to improve
the road congestion that the Island is facing needs substantial consultation to
develop initiatives such as residents’ parking, park and ride facilities and
the like.
17 To help
the Council develop the appropriate Integrated Transport strategy to implement
its policies. It has been agreed that
the Quality Transport Partnership through Theme 2 of the Island Futures Local
Strategic Partnership will take a lead role.
The work programmes which will emerge from the strategy will then be
developed through the Local Transport Package Bid and will be dependent upon
allocations of regional and national funding for key projects. In recent years, the Council has been
particularly successful in securing funding through this source for major road
infrastructure failures whilst in addition receiving funding for integrated
transport facilities proposed at the Ryde interchange. If the Council is to continue to be
successful in achieving these bids, including the proposals for investment
through the PFI initiative for road investment, the introduction of appropriate
demand management measures will be carefully monitored and reviewed by the
Government Office for the South East (GOSE).
18 To address
peak periods of congestion, GOSE will be particularly interested in the
Council’s development of the workplace travel plans. Current analysis of relevant date reveals that 70% of the Island
peak hour traffic flows are made up of travel to/from work journeys. Recent traffic data also reveals that only
3.9% of people travel to work on the bus, whilst almost 17% walk to work. The potential to improve modal of shift and
reduce car usage through workplace travel plans is therefore considerable and
is why the Executive will consider at its meeting on 21 April proposals to
introduce an Integrated Travel Plan for its own workforce. This approach is consistent with Council’s
agreed Local Transport Plan which anticipates the introduction of 4 workplace
travel plans during the period of the plan, particularly in the Newport area.
19 As part of
this Select Committee’s current work programme, it would be appropriate to
consider how it could work with the Quality Transport Partnership on Theme 2 of
the Island Futures’ Agenda. The result
of this work will produce an Integrated Transport Strategy which will use the
principles of demand management as a means of delivering improvement in
transport facilities on and off the Island.
20 During
2002/3 a comprehensive Isle of Wight study was undertaken which examined public
parking in major towns on the Island which resulted in significant revisions to
the charging policy, hours of operation and permits. This year’s review of the Parking Places Order has focussed on
applying those revisions to parking areas where charges are not currently
levied. This approach allows the
Council’s assets to be used in an equitable manner across the Island reflecting
the need to introduce parking demand management. A number of other minor operational changes have been advertised
at the same time and provision has been included to provide the framework of
changes consistent with the proposed Integrated Travel Plan for the Council’s
establishments, subject to separate approval by the Executive following
consultation.
21 The
Parking Places Order reflecting these changes for 2004 was advertised following
the establishment of the Council’s budget and in consultation with the
Portfolio Holder. Any decision about
the implementation of the revised Parking Places Order will be taken by the
Executive on 5 May, following consideration of the representations which were
received during the consultation period.
22 The Select Committee will be interested to note the number of representations which have been raised as a result of the Parking Places Order. The majority of the representations are concerned about the implications of charging on residents, businesses and Island visitors. A detailed summary of the representations and the responses from officers are outlined in Appendix B attached to this report and with a few minor exceptions, it is anticipated that offices will recommend the majority of the parking revisions for implementation to the Executive.
23 The
proposals to increase permit charges has been previously approved by the
Council as part of an incremental reduction in the large discount offered to
permit holders. The objections to
charging for parking at Chilton Chine on the basis that the land is not owned
by the Council is currently being investigated by the Property Services
Manager. However, it is noted that this
site was previously included in charging orders by South Wight Borough Council
and income is needed to support the future maintenance of this facility. In a number of locations there have been
concerns about the use of public car parks for the safe setting down and
picking up of children during school runs and it is anticipated that in Warnes
Lane, Brighstone and High Street, Carisbrooke exemptions could be introduced to
allow this to continue during appropriate times of the day.
24 The Select
Committee may wish to pass on any further observations it may have about the
proposed revisions to the Parking Places Order so that these can be considered
by the Executive at its meeting on 5 May.
25 The
proposals for the 2004 Parking Places Order took into account the results of
consultation that were taken last year for the current Order. As a result, no increases in the general
tariffs were proposed and the advertised increases in permit charges merely
reflect the incremental package approved last year.
26 The
proposed charges have been formally advertised through the Traffic Regulation
Order process, which invites both statutory consultees and the general public
to comment. Some 240 letters and 8
petitions containing some 3,800 signatures have been received.
27 The income
generation from the introduction of charges in the new areas is estimated to be
£158,820 in the first full year after set-up costs, rising to £241,257 in
subsequent years. This takes into
account appropriate increases in overheads and additional on-going maintenance.
28 The
contribution parking revenue makes to public transport support and highway
schemes has been set out in this report.
In addition, the promotion of season and tourist tickets has been
actively advertised on ferries and marketed directly through hotels and guest
houses.
29 Concern
has been expressed that a number of more remote locations, the collection of
tariffs would be uneconomic. The
introduction of charges at these locations is not the primary revenue raising
exercise, but the application of a consistent Island-wide approach to car
parking management. Taking the package
of measures as a whole, the risk of not covering the additional costs involved
is extremely slight.
30 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 and Wales Regulations 1966. There is a 6 week period after the making of the final Order when
it may be challenged in the High Court, but only on procedural grounds.
31 Consideration
has been given to the rights set out in Article 8 (right to respect for private
and family life) and Article 1 of the First Protocol (right to peaceful
enjoyment of possessions) of the European Convention of Human Rights.
32 The impact
of this Order has been carefully considered, in so far as there is an
interference with the rights of third parties it is considered necessary for
the protection of the rights and freedoms of the community as a whole. It is also considered that such an action is
disproportional to the legitimate aim and in the public interest. Council has consulted with the Crime &
Disorder facilitator and will be liaising on any details of the proposals with
regard to the reduction of crime throughout the design.
33 Select
Committee is recommended to:-
1 note the role that parking demand management plays in the delivery of the Council’s Local Transport Plan and policies;
2
note the development of an Integrated Transport Strategy
through Island Futures’ Theme 2 and to work in conjunction with the Quality
Transport Partnership to develop the appropriate policies; and
3
note the proposals contained in the revised Parking Places
Order and to offer any observations to the Executive about the representations
made during the consultation period.
34 Letters of
objection forwarded to Legal Services
Contact point: Peter Taylor, Engineering Services 823777 [email protected]
STEPHEN
MATTHEWS
Head of Engineering
Services