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Report to: |
COUNCIL |
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Date: |
19 December 2023 |
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Title: |
Proposals for on-street parking charges by Devon County Council |
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Portfolio Area: |
Lead Member for People and Communities – Cllr Adam Bridgewater
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Wards Affected: |
All |
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Urgent Decision: |
N |
Approval and clearance obtained: |
Y |
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Date next steps can be taken:
Immediately following this meeting |
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Author: |
David Fairbairn |
Role: |
Head of Legal Services and Monitoring Officer |
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Contact: |
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RECOMMENDATION:
That Council is RECOMMENDED to authorise Cllr Adam Bridgewater, as Lead Member for People and Communities, in consultation with the Director of Customer Service and Delivery, to respond to the proposals for on-street parking charges in Okehampton and Tavistock on behalf of the Borough Council.
1. Executive summary
1.1 Devon County Council is consulting on proposals to introduce Pay and Display parking in Okehampton and Tavistock. The consultation period runs from 7 December 2023 to 7 January 2024.
1.2 The proposals will result in parking charges being introduced on specified streets in Okehampton and Tavistock. The reasons given by the County Council are that the charges are needed to manage congestion, improve air quality, and maintain reasonable access to premises. It says that the restrictions are proposed so that availability of parking is improved for short stays, which it says could reduce congestion and improve air quality as well as providing a safer environment for pedestrians and cyclists.
1.3 The Borough Council considers that the proposals fail to consider properly the social, economic and environmental implications of introducing charges for on-street parking in Okehampton and Tavistock and the evidential basis fails to provide adequate justification.
1.4 The report seeks authority for the Lead Member for People and Communities in consultation with the Director of Customer Services to respond to the County Council’s consultation.
1.5 The item is urgent as the consultation period coincides with the Christmas break and there is no meeting of the full Council scheduled before the deadline for receipt of consultation responses by the County Council.
2. Background
2.1 Devon County is proposing to make several traffic regulation orders across Devon to introduce on-street parking charges. The proposals include making orders in respect of Okehampton and Tavistock.
2.2 For Okehampton the proposals, if approved, would see pay and display tariffs of 1 hour free and 2 hours £1 being introduced between Mon-Sat 10am-5pm in specified lengths of Fairplace Terrace, George Street, George Street Spur, Kempley Road, Mill Road, Park Row and St James Street. Parking would be subject to a maximum stay of two hours.
2.3 Meanwhile, for Tavistock the proposals, if approved, would see pay and display tariffs of 1 hour free and 2 hours £1 being introduced between Mon-Sat 9am-6pm in specified lengths of Brook Street, Duke Street, Plymouth Road, Russell Street and West Street. Parking would be subject to a maximum stay of two hours.
2.4 Full details of the proposals can be found at https://www.devon.gov.uk/roads-and-transport/parking/traffic-regulation-orders/proposed-pay-and-display/
3. Response
3.1 The proposals are in complete contrast to the Borough Council’s own approach towards car parking charges and supporting its residents and businesses. At its meeting on 21st November, the Councils Hub committee approved a report that reviewed the car parking charges in its car parks and having considered the needs of local residents, businesses and the town high streets, made the decision not to increase short stay parking charges.
3.2 The Borough Council has not increased short stay car parking charges since 2018 and the report recognised that the town centre high streets have not fully recovered from the Covid pandemic and that the ‘pop and shop’ throughput of shoppers was vital for local businesses.
3.3 Although seeking to justify the proposals on the basis of them being necessary to manage congestion, improve air quality, and maintain reasonable access to premises, there is no evidence of such need.
3.4 It is therefore recommended that to support our residents and businesses, the Borough Council is recommended to authorise the Lead Member for People and Communities. Cllr Adam Bridgewater in consultation with the Director of Customer Service and Delivery to respond to the consultation proposals.
4. Implications
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Implications
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Relevant |
Details and proposed measures to address |
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Legal/Governance
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N |
None
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Financial implications to include reference to value for money |
N |
None |
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Risk |
N |
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Supporting Corporate Strategy |
Y |
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Climate Change - Carbon / Biodiversity Impact
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N |
No direct implications |
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Comprehensive Impact Assessment Implications |
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Equality and Diversity
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Not applicable |
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Safeguarding
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Not applicable |
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Community Safety, Crime and Disorder |
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Not applicable |
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Health, Safety and Wellbeing |
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Not applicable |
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Other implications |
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Not applicable
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Supporting Information
Appendices:
None
Background Papers:
None