Issue - meetings

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/194

Contact: Hugh Potter, Team Leader – Area Operations Hub Tel: 07766 998704

Report by Director for Infrastructure Operations (CMDE4).

This report presents responses received to a Statutory consultation to change the operational hours for the use of the on-street pay and display parking and increases in tariffs. The new charging structure was submitted into the County budget review process and has been subject to review by Scrutiny committee on the 10 January 2019 and was subsequently signed off at Cabinet on the 22 January 2019.

Following Cabinet approval, the County Council was obliged to advertise its intention to alter the Traffic Regulation Order that changes the operational hours for when parking charges apply. As part of the process the Council is statutorily required to invite comments and objections to the proposals.

Under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 19 (a) to (c) the Chairman of the Council has agreed that that part of this report applying to the revised hours of operation should not be subject to call-in in order that the 2 elements of this proposal i.e. the charges and hours of operation come into force simultaneously on 1 April 2019. The main part of the proposals relating to the fee charges has already been through the scrutiny process in January 2019 prior to being subsequently agreed at Cabinet on 22 January 2019 as part of the Financial Budget submission and so the call-in process for that element of the proposal does not apply under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 18 (h)).  However, part of the supporting process for the increased charges involves the need to make a Traffic Regulation Order to change the hours of operation to come into operation on 1 April and that would normally be subject to call-in.  However, doing so raises the potential for a problem of timing between the 2 elements if the hours of operation decision was to be called in.  As the main fee charges has already been through the Scrutiny process before going to Cabinet the Chairman of the Council has agreed to waive the process for the hours of operation as any delay could prejudice the Council’s or public’s interest.

The Cabinet Member for the Environment is RECOMMENDED to approve the proposed increases to the fees for on-street pay and display parking, and the additional times for which such fees apply on Sundays as advertised.

Approved

·         Under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 19 (a) to (c) the Chairman of the Council has agreed that this decision should be exempt from call-in in order that the 2 elements of this proposal i.e. the charges and hours of operation come into force simultaneously on 1 April 2019. The main part of the proposals relating to the fee charges had already been through the scrutiny process in January 2019 prior to being subsequently agreed at Cabinet on 22 January 2019 as part of the Financial Budget submission and so the call-in process for that element of the proposal does not apply under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 18 (h)).  However, part of the supporting process for the increased charges involved the need to make a Traffic Regulation Order to change the hours of operation to come into operation on 1 April and that would normally be subject to call-in.  However, doing so raised the potential for a problem of timing between the 2 elements if the hours of operation decision was to be called in.  Therefore, as the main fee charges has already been through the Scrutiny process before going to Cabinet the Chairman of the Council agreed to waive the process for the hours of operation as any delay could prejudice the Council’s or public’s interest.

A new charging structure for on-street pay and display parking charges had been submitted into the County budget review process, subject to review by Scrutiny Committee on the 10 January 2019 and subsequently signed off at Cabinet on the 22 January 2019.

Following approval by Cabinet, the County Council was then obliged to advertise its intention to alter the Traffic Regulation Order that changes the operational hours for when parking charges apply. As part of that process the Council was statutorily required to invite comments and objections to the proposals and the Cabinet Member for Environment now considered CMDE4 a report presenting responses received to a statutory consultation to change those hours for the use of the on-street pay and display parking and increases in tariffs.

Under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 19 (a) to (c) the Chairman of the Council had agreed that that part of the report applying to the revised hours of operation should not be subject to call-in in order that the 2 elements of this proposal i.e. the charges and hours of operation would come into force simultaneously on 1 April 2019. The main part of the proposals relating to the fee charges had already been through the scrutiny process in January 2019 prior to being subsequently agreed at Cabinet on 22 January 2019 as part of the Financial Budget submission and so the call-in process for that element of the proposal did not apply under Standing Orders (Section 6.2, paragraph 18 (h)).  However, part of the supporting process for the increased charges involved the need to make a Traffic Regulation Order to change the hours of operation to come into operation on 1 April and that would normally be subject to call-in.  However, making the hours of operation subject to call in raised the potential for a problem of timing between the 2 elements if that were to happen and the Chairman of the Council had agreed to waive the process for the hours of operation as any delay could prejudice the Council’s or public’s interest.

Having regard to the information set out in the report before her and noting the agreement of the Chairman of the Council to waive the scrutiny process for the hours of operation element the Cabinet Member for Environment confirmed her decision as follows:

to approve the proposed increases to the fees for on-street pay and display parking, and the additional times for which such fees apply on Sundays as advertised.

Signed………………………………………….

Cabinet Member for Environment

Date of signing………………………………..