Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development attaching the joint report of the Chief Environmental Services Officer and Director of City Development for the second session of the Board’s Inquiry on Residents Parking Schemes.

The Head of Scrutiny and Member Development submitted a report which outlined the purpose of the second session of the Inquiry on Residents Parking Schemes.  Attached was a joint report of the Chief Environmental Services Officer and the Director of City Development, which provided Members with an overview of the process for the introduction of Resident Parking Schemes (RPS) and information requested by the Board at the previous meeting.

The Chair welcomed to the meeting Councillor Steve Smith, Executive Board Member with portfolio responsibility for Environmental Services and Councillor Ryk Downes, Ward Councillor for Otley and Yeadon who had been invited to attend as a witness.

Also in attendance to present the report and respond to queries and comments from the Board were Andrew Mason, Chief Environmental Services Officer, Graham Wilson, Head of Environmental Action and Parking, Helen Franklin, Acting Head of Highway Services, Howard Claxton, Traffic Engineering Manager and Mark Jefford, Parking Manager, Enforcement.

Councillor Smith outlined his responsibilities for this Board which solely related to parking enforcement and then, along with officers, responded to the following issues raised by Board Members:

·  Parking Restrictions and the overall impact they could have on other areas.

·  The Allocation of Resources to enforce parking restrictions and keep traffic flowing in the city.

·  Process of Resident Parking Schemes.  The Executive Board Member was confident that the balance between parking and enforcement was about right and thought the system firm but fair.

·  Members were advised that the Current Budget for RPS was only sufficient to complete approximately one new scheme a year.

·  Objectors to new RPS was raised. It was reported that an officer group considered objections to such schemes and where objectors had vested interests they were overruled.

·  The possibility of residents funding RPS was discussed. The Executive Board Member stated that, whilst this was worthy of consideration, it would be wrong to accelerate lower priority schemes in advance of an area where residents were experiencing severe parking issues because of their ability to pay. In addition it was also essential that the Council retained a strong and clear policy and criteria on where RPS was appropriate and only proposals that met this criteria  should be considered if residents were allowed to fund such schemes.  However, the proposal would enable more schemes to be injected into the programme.  He emphasised that RPS might not be the solution to parking problems and one size did not fit all.

·  The Executive Board Member stressed that any recommendations which the Board might make under this review should include undertaking cost benefit analysis and consultation with residents affected. 

·  Parking at Trinity and All Saints College – A Member of the Board advised that the College had accepted that the parking difficulties around the College were their responsibility and they were to fund an RPS.

Councillor Downes was invited by the Chair to outline the particular parking problems experienced around Leeds Bradford International Airport.  Councillor Downes reported that car parking charges at the airport were very high and consequently travellers parked their cars in local residential streets up to two miles away from the airport and left them there for two to three weeks whilst they went on holiday.  There were unofficial signs to deter people, but these were unenforceable.  He emphasised that no one parking system for the city as a whole would suit all situations.  He suggested that restrictions be applied, for instance 20 hours out of 24 and that residents around the airport be included in the consultation.

Members of the Board were then invited by the Chair to question the witness and Officers on any specific concerns regarding parking around the airport.  The following issues were raised:

·  Parking schemes already in place around the airport – Members were advised that there were no existing schemes as such, although there were now double yellow lines up to ½ mile around the airport to prevent anyone parking due to terrorism concerns.

·  Options for Park and Ride near the airport – Members were advised that as Leeds City Council no longer owned the airport, sites for possible Park and Ride would be difficult to identify.

·  Use of Parking Restrictions around the airport – Members were advised of a successful scheme of a one hour parking restriction between 10am and 11am around Garforth Station.

The Chair then invited Officers to highlight any particular issues of note.  The Acting Head of Highway Services summarised the report and drew attention to information in the report in particular on:

·  Abuse of the permit system.

·  Income from fines as compared to the cost of enforcement.

·  The withdrawal and monitoring of RPS.

·  How the suggestion that residents should pay for the implementation of RPS would work in practice.

·  The positive and negative benefits of charging for permits.

Officers also reiterated that one size did not fit all, that local circumstances had to be taken into consideration.  They also emphasised that if residents were allowed to fund RPS, that clear policies on where they should be provided were needed, that these schemes should not be fast tracked and that a priority approach should still be adopted.

Officers then responded to queries and comments from the Board in brief summary on:

·   Misuse of the blue badge and residents parking permits – Members were advised that for blue badges a parking ticket was issued and if paid, this was a proved offence.  On the third offence the person could be prosecuted and the badge taken from them.  Residents permit abuse was enforced using a combination of parking tickets and withdrawal of permits.

·   Displacement  of parking if charges were introduced – Officers advised that there were no perceived problems in other cities that charged, although detailed information was not available.

·   Parking Charges and Raising Money – Officers advised that this was not a money raising exercise but about improving the highway infrastructure and parking facilities.

·   The perception that Leeds was perhaps too lenient on enforcement – Officers advised that they did not believe this to be the case in general.  RPS were for the benefit of residents and therefore Officers did take a more lenient approach to appeals lodged by residents who may have received a parking ticket.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the report of the Head of Scrutiny and Member Development and the joint report of the Chief Environmental Services Officer and Director of City Development be noted.

(b)  That a draft final report and recommendations be prepared for consideration by the Board in accordance with the terms of reference for this Inquiry and incorporating the issues raised at today’s meeting.

(Note: Councillor Wilkinson joined the meeting at 10.15am during the consideration of this item.)