Issue - meetings

The Portfolio Holder for Community Services and the Head of Environmental Services were welcomed by the Board and provided an update on both the current position in respect of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) and car parking in general. 

The Portfolio Holder for Community Services explained that it was the Council’s intention to progress the implementation of CPE as it would be of benefit to the residents of Bromsgrove.  The work that was currently being done in respect of CPE would be included within a report to Cabinet covering a review of the whole car parking strategy for the district and would be presented to Cabinet in the early part of the next financial year.  The following areas were also discussed in more detail:

• The handover from Worcestershire County Council (WCC) of CPE and provision of funding from WCC.
• The cost of the implementation of CPE to the Council and the options for providing the service, for example a Shared Service or use of other providers.
• Any additional income which the Council would receive from CPE in the future.
• The areas within the district which CPE would cover, including the number of car parks the Council was responsible for and what would be covered under the CPE scheme.
• The number of enforcement officers currently in post and any additional staff needed to implement CPE.
• The cost effectiveness of car parking as a whole (including the enforcement times within the town centre and cost effectiveness of these).
• The possible implementation of resident parking schemes and costs attached to this (the Portfolio Holder for Community Services confirmed that at the Board’s request, this would now be included within the review).

The Head of Environmental Services advised Members that, if everything went according to plan, CPE should be in place by mid 2011/12 financial year.  The Portfolio Holder for Community Services advised that research had been completed which showed that BDC did not charge the most for car parking (some of the charges had not increased for 7 years).  However, it was acknowledged that some improvements needed to be made, particular in changing people’s perception of the service the Council provided for car parking.