Agenda item

Forward Plan Ref: 2011/037

Contact: David Tole, Team Leader Tel: (01865) 815942

Report by Deputy Director of Environment & Economy (Highways & Transport (CMDT4).

The Cabinet Member for Transport considered the reintroduction of pay & display charges in the evening and on Sundays in Oxford.  Further comments from County Councillors Alan Armitage and Jean Fooks had been tabled with the addenda.

Professor Whelan advised that he needed to take his car each Sunday in order to attend the St Aldates chaplaincy. There was no alternative means of travel and he felt a £4 fee to attend Sunday observations was too high. He asked the Cabinet Member to reject the proposed increases.

Reverend Seward was aware of the financial problems which faced the County Council but it was also important not to jeopardise the role played by churches in the local community by imposing charges, which might dissuade people from attending church services. He was a parish priest at the Oratory on St Giles where there were 7 churches of varying denominations with a large total congregation who would be affected by these charges.  Park & Ride services did not start operating before 10 am so did not offer any real alternative for some services and many people would be disadvantaged including young families and the disabled. There would inevitably be financial implications for the churches themselves and he urged the Cabinet Member to listen to the concerns of the local community and reject the increases.

Father Ombres was not asking for any special privilege for the religious community but emphasised the public benefit to be gained from that community helping others and anything which might affect that situation should be resisted. People travelled into St Giles on Sunday mornings for various reasons but Christians felt an obligation to attend church and it would be wrong for them to feel they had to forego church attendance for financial reasons.  Oxford depended a lot on tourism with churches one of many reasons why tourists came to Oxford. He urged the Cabinet Member to consider a reduction in the rates proposed or a relaxation of the times charges were to be applied in order to support an important facet of today’s society. 

Graham Jones referred particularly to the reintroduction of evening charges which had in the past given rise to a lot of confusion and had a considerable impact on the restaurant and theatre trade. The removal of charges had been a great benefit to the business community and he questioned whether the net income to the County Council justified the negative effect reintroduction of charges would have on the viability of local businesses, who had campaigned hard for them to be withdrawn in the first place.  There would be a loss of revenue and potentially jobs could be threatened.  He supported comments from church representatives re community cohesion and social fabric.  The proposal was counter productive and he urged that they be rejected.

Mr Tole addressed a number of issues.

Regarding overnight parking the current situation would remain with no restriction on parking.  Ticketing machines were able to recognise that when tickets were bought before 8am when restrictions were applied that period of time would not commence until 8 am.  That would continue to be the case and possibly improved as new machinery was installed.

Regarding Cromwell Street and Merton Street the charges proposed replicated the charges that existed prior to December 2005.   Alternative parking existed in High Street although a bit further away from Cromwell and Merton Streets.  There were heavy demands for parking in Oxford and this particular area was under a great deal of pressure. 

Regarding evening trade he suggested that a flat rate of £2.50 when compared to the cost of an evening out was low and not prohibitive.

Mr Howell advised that it was expected that reintroduction of charges would realise £½ million to offset losses in the parking account.  During the previous charging regime spaces had been full and there was no evidence that charging had had a negative effect on local businesses.

The Cabinet Member for Transport advised that he had been tasked with raising revenue to offset highway maintenance costs and reiterated that the County Council was not making a profit from parking but looking for that particular area to be self financing.  He asked whether amending the commencement time for charges on a Sunday from 8 am to 10 am would have a significant effect on income.

Officers confirmed that the effect of such a concession would be minimal.

Having regard to the arguments and options set out in the documentation before him, the representations made to him and the further considerations set out above the Cabinet Member for Transport approved the reintroduction of evening and Sunday pay & display charges in Oxford as advertised subject to charges to be introduced on Sundays commencing at 10 am and not 8.00 am as originally proposed.