Agenda item

Report of the Director - Neighbourhoods

It was RESOLVED that Cabinet:

a)             Approved the Council’s revised Off Street Parking Strategy 2023-2027

b)             Agreed that the Director for Neighbourhoods be delegated to make minor amendments to the Strategy, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to ensure the technical and legal accuracy of the document during its lifespan.

The Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety, Councillor Inglis, presented the report of the Director Neighbourhoods which set out the key elements of Rushcliffe’s Revised Off Street Car Parking Strategy for 2023-2026.

Councillor Inglis said that the revised strategy addressed the supply and management of the Council’s off street car parks designed to encourage short-stay car parking and reflect local variations in the demand for parking. He said that the Council operated 29 off street regulated car parks, with 13 being enforced by Civil Enforcement Officers, and levies pay-and-display charges on 8 of them. He said that the Council prioritised short stay car parking over long stay provision and that whilst there was a range of stay provisions from up to 2 hours to 12 hours maximum, the Council operated a non-uniform tariff policy based on local need and usage.

Councillor Inglis said that the revised strategy would continue to focus on the ten main car parking objectives as identified in the previous off street car parking strategy of 2018-2022, which he outlined as being to:

·       maintain the vitality and viability of district and town centres by ensuring the needs of shoppers and visitors are prioritised

·       encourage short stay rather than all-day parking

·       make sure that enforcement was fair and consistent 

·       improve traffic flow and reduce congestion

·       encourage the use of more sustainable modes and smarter choices

·       provide access to key services for people with special needs and mobility difficulties by providing appropriate parking spaces

·       contribute to the reduction of Carbon Dioxide and Nitrogen Dioxide emissions

·       minimise the negative impacts of parking on the streetscape and environmentally sensitive areas

·       improve the efficiency of the Council’s parking services

·       provide revenue to reinvest in parking services to support local economic and social vibrancy.

Councillor Inglis confirmed that income from car parking had returned to pre pandemic levels and that usage remained consistent, with the Council expecting to receive £748k for the year of 2022/23. He said that the Council also received income from the surplus generated by enforcement activities carried out for off street parking and that in 2021/22 this amounted to circa £4k.

Councillor Inglis explained that the Council had worked closely with the Midlands Energy Hub and had been successful in securing over £1 million in funding to provide a number of vehicle charging points across the Borough and he said the Council could be proud of the Park Mark accreditation awarded for excellence across a number of its car parks. Councillor Inglis referred to paragraph 4.14 which, which along with the day to day management of car parks, outlined future initiatives of the car parking strategy

Councillor Inglis said that it was important that charges were not a restriction factor to deter retail customers and provided good value for money, especially when compared to others not too far away. Councillor Inglis also praised and highlighted initiatives adopted by the Council, such as Free after Thee in supporting a post pandemic recovery for its high streets’ economy.

Councillor Inglis referred to paragraph 3.1 of the report and said that whilst the car parking strategy was not a legal requirement, the points set out in the paragraph provided strong drivers for supporting its adoption, to secure future delivery. 

Councillor Inglis explained that the car parking strategy was a living document and would change to best meet the needs of Rushcliffe. He thought that the Council had got it right so far and that this report supported taking that desire forward.

In seconding the recommendations, Councillor Upton said that change was happening all of the time and he agreed that there was need to respond to it, no more so than in how and when we travel, if by car and where we park and how we pay for it. He said that cars were adapting to climate change with the transition to electric power, which brought a need for electric charging points. He said that off street car parks could have a significant effect on the economic vitality and resilience of town and village centres, hence the focus on short stay and varying tariffs based on local need.

Councillor Inglis said that it was therefore relevant for the Council to update its off street car parking strategy and noted that the revised strategy looked forward and tried to anticipate the changes ahead in a rapidly changing sector. He thought that it would meet the challenges and interests of residents in Rushcliffe over the next four years.

Councillor Edyvean recognised that the Council reinvested money received from car parking back into its future car parking requirements and that it had worked hard to ensure that the changes were not excessive and provided a service to residents rather than acting as a cash cow as happened in some areas.

Councillor Robinson noted that the Council had returned to pre pandemic income levels, compared to some councils who were still struggling to do so, and thought that this was testament to the vitality of the Borough’s high streets and demonstrated that people wanted to remain in Rushcliffe and use its facilities. He was delighted that this review had been carried out to ensure that the Council continued to keep its car parking competitive, not just in pricing but in facilities such as lighting and access and said that the car parks of Rushcliffe were comparable with the very best.

It was RESOLVED that Cabinet:

a)             approves the Council’s revised Off Street Parking Strategy 2023-2027; and

b)             agrees that the Director for Neighbourhoods be delegated to make minor amendments to the Strategy, in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder, to ensure the technical and legal accuracy of the document during its lifespan.