Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2009/207

Contact: David Tole, Leader, Traffic Regulation (01865 815942)

10:40 am

Report by Head of Highways & Transport (CMDT6)

The Cabinet Member for Transport considered a proposal (CMDT6) to amend parking and loading arrangements in several streets in response to requests from local businesses, colleges, as part of the High Street repaving scheme and to clarify restrictions on certain streets with Pay & Display bays (particularly with regard to Sunday parking arrangements).

Mr. Michael Hocken explained that his first objection was to the proposal to reduce the length of the disabled bay on St Michael's Street by 7 metres, which would reduce the number of vehicles able to park there by two, without making any alternative provision.  He explained that he was a regular attender of auctions at Mallam’s and would not now be able to park nearby; he also questioned whether there was a request from businesses.

His second objection was, in the absence of any equality impact statement or assessment, to the blanket proposal to impose waiting and loading restrictions across all the streets set out in the Controlled Parking Order, given that the consequence of this order will be to prevent any parking by blue badge holders on double yellow lines across the whole of the City centre.

He considered that the proposal was a clear breach of planning policy which, coupled with illegal enforcement against non-UK blue badge holders by enforcement officers, was evidence of institutional discrimination against blue badge holders.

Mr. Tole explained that 7 m was approximately the length of one parking bay at 6.7m (not two), and he confirmed that the request had come from Mallam’s and was not just in relation to auction days.  He pointed out that blue badge holders could continue to park there when delivering/collecting items.

In response to the points about equality impact assessment and parking enforcement, he replied that the level of changes to the existing provision did not automatically warrant an impact assessment but he had carried out an assessment which was set out at Annex 3 to the report (CMDT6); he had sought advice about the use of non-UK blue badges and did not consider it unreasonable to check out the use of non-standard badges.

The Cabinet Member for Transport AGREED:

(a)       the proposed changes to parking and loading restrictions in central Oxford as advertised in The Oxfordshire County Council (Central Area Oxford) (Controlled Parking Zone and Waiting Restrictions) Order 20**, The Oxfordshire County Council (Oxford Central Area) (Designation and Regulation of Street Parking Places) Variation Order 20** and The Oxfordshire County Council (Disabled Persons’ Parking Places – Oxford) (Amendment No.*) Order 20** as amended in respect of part of Mansfield Road as set out in the report (CMDT6); and to authorise the Head of Highways & Transport to agree any further non-substantial variations he considers appropriate subject to him consulting the Cabinet Member for Transport on any material variation and undertaking any further consultation which he may consider appropriate.

(b)       to ask for views from organisations representing users with disabilities on the adequacy of provision of DPPPs in Oxford City Centre (as set out in the report) and review the Government recommendations arising from the 2007 report 'The Strategic Review of the Blue Badge Scheme' commissioned by DfT particularly relating to the use of single yellow lines by Blue Badge Holders when making future changes to DPPPs in Oxford.