Decision details

Arising from a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (S151) and Group Manager for Street Scene & Open Spaces, the Economy Policy Development Group had made the following recommendations:

a)    The proposed new tariffs for each of the council owned car parks in Mid Devon be approved as detailed in the annexe to the Working Group report;

b)    Overnight parking permits be altered to offer greater value for money for local residents and that the annual one off charge be set at £100. To also approve an option to pay by monthly direct debit at £10 per month with a one month cancellation period.

The Cabinet Member for Finance outlined the contents of the report stating that the Economy Policy Development Group had set up a working group to re-examine the effectiveness of the current charging regime and to consider any appropriate recommendations for changes.  The Council had last visited its Pay and Display charges in April 2016 and in 2018/19 it generated £656K from 604,450 vends.  In addition circa £115K was raised in charges for permits and off-street parking fines.  He considered the findings of the working group’s report and explained that the tariff proposals had been put through a pricing model based on historic vend analysis. 

Consideration was given to:

·         A proposition for overnight charges to be removed except for the MSCP and outside Phoenix House

·          Residents parking overnight in narrow side streets and the impact on emergency services

·         Properties within the towns with no parking facilities

·         Climate change issues would not stop people using cars in Mid Devon, especially in the rural areas

·         The lack of bus services in the evenings

·         The views of the Chairman of the Working Group and the work of the previous working group, the proposed suggestions of the Group, the need for the William Street car park to continue to have free time, the need to increase publicity for purchasing permits and the savings that could be made. He voiced concern with regard to the removal of night time charges as that would be an impact on income received.

·         The proposal of £1.25 per hour in short stay car parks and whether that was an awkward amount to charge

·         The amount of parking fees paid digitally

·         The cost of parking across the county and into Somerset

·         A concern that the William Street car park was very busy at school times and that shoppers could not park there

·         Where the money went from overpayments and whether any overpayments collected should be given to charity

It was therefore:

RESOLVED that: 

a)            the proposed new tariffs for each of the council owned car parks in Mid Devon be approved as detailed in the annexe to the Working Group report apart from overnight charges from 1800 - 0800 which are to revert to being free of charge, with the exception of Tiverton Multi Storey and Phoenix House car parks (which will remain 24 hour charging).

b)             the Economy Policy Development Group be requested to consider the issue of overpayments for car parking and what should happen to that additional income.

(Proposed by Cllr A White and seconded by Cllr Mrs N Woollatt)

Notes:

i)       Cllr Mrs N Woollatt informed the meeting that she had had correspondence with residents regarding the item;

ii)      Cllr D J Knowles declared a personal interest as he had a residents parking space in Wellbrook Street car park;

iii)     *Report previously circulated, copy attached to minutes.