Issue - meetings

This report seeks approval for the Parking Policy 2020, superseding the 2015 Parking Strategy. The Policy sets out the Council’s agreed current policies relating to Parking, updated to reflect agreed changes from November 2015 through to March 2020.

Cabinet RESOLVED to

(1)    approve the Parking Policy 2020 attached as Appendix A to the report, superseding the Council’s 2015 Parking Strategy; and

(2)    note and confirm the policy revisions set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report that had been introduced since 2015, following Cabinet approval.

Councillor Krupa Sheth (Lead Member for Environment) introduced the report outlining the 2020 Parking Policy, which provided a comprehensive guide to current parking policies and operational practices. The Policy had been built on the 2015 Parking Policy and reflected cabinet decisions over the past five years along with the long term parking strategies and goals for the authority, including those represented in the borough plan.

Cabinet’s attention was drawn to three key achievements made in recent years that had been captured in the new policy; the amendment in the price of parking bookings, the simplification of parking emission zones for resident’s permits, and the introduction of a diesel surcharge on permits, to encourage the use of cleaner vehicles.

Whilst supporting the inclusion of a provision for special events and one-off events, Members queried whether the timeframe for approval of road closures was conducive to the aim of encouraging community use of local streets. It was clarified that the six to eight week turnaround for approval of applications only applied to larger events requiring a Traffic Management Order (TMO) and was for statutory and safety reasons. 

In supporting the detailed data on the number of CPZ zones and the clarity provided on parking transgression codes, Councillor Muhammed Butt, Leader of the Council, highlighted the importance that all members were made aware of the policy, so they could have a complete understanding of parking practices in the borough. 

It was RESOLVED that Cabinet:

(1)          approves the Parking Policy 2020 attached as Appendix A to this report, superseding the Council’s 2015 Parking Strategy.

(2)          notes and confirms the policy revisions set out in paragraph 3.5 of the report that had been introduced since 2015, following Cabinet approval.