Agenda item

The Interim Head of Environmental and Housing Property Services introduced this report and in doing so recapped that at the meeting of full Council on 21^st February 2024, the Parking Enforcement Service Level Agreement with Wychavon District Council was considered and Members agreed to undertake a strategic review of parking services. The review would include on and off street parking enforcement and would support preparation of a business case for the future of the service. At 21^st February 2024 full Council, it was agreed that a one-off budget of £50,000 be included in the Medium-Term Financial Plan for 2024-25 to fund the proposed strategic review, including through engagement with consultants.

It was noted that the brief for the strategic review included three key deliverables:

• A review of existing parking requirements including supply and demand for now and in the future;
• A review of car park management arrangements with solutions identified to reduce the need for off street parking enforcement;
• Review of On-Street Enforcement will be carried out to address member and resident concerns around coverage of activities.

It was highlighted that through the strategic review the consultants would be engaging with Ward Members and Parish Councillors to identify local issues with regard to parking.

• Timeline for the consultants’ work – It was anticipated at this point that the appointed consultants would begin work on the strategic review in mid-May with the work to take three months to complete. Final consultants’ report was anticipated in September 2024 with regular meetings to ensure that the review remained on track.

• Number of car parks operated by Bromsgrove District Council – A Member commented that the Council operated 9 car parks and not 11 car parks, as stated under paragraph 2.1 of the report. The Member stated that this figure probably included Churchfield Car Park which was closed and one other should not be included. The Officer responded that part of the work was about understanding demand and currently 2 of the car parks, although closed currently, had uncertainty with regard whether they would be used in the future, hence the report stated a figure of 11 Council-operated car parks.

• Specialist parking consultants – The need to ensure that the Council employed specialist parking consultancy as part of this strategic review was highlighted by a Member. It was noted that understanding the specific parking issues and needs in areas outside of Bromsgrove Town Centre such as: occupancy and duration of use in car parks, the impacts of overspill into surrounding streets. It was highlighted by a Member that involvement of the County Council in the strategic review was needed in order to ensure its success.

• Understanding how traffic wardens are operating – The Interim Head of Environmental and Housing Property Services reported that there was regular monthly reporting by Wychavon District Council to catalogue what areas the parking wardens were visiting and at what frequency.

• A Member commented that he thought an on-the-ground survey of parking provision in Alvechurch needed to be undertaken as a priority before the summer holiday period. The Member cited serious parking issues in that ward including loss of 40 parking spaces over the next few months (which represented 50 per cent of parking provision). The Officer responded that over the next few weeks conversations would be held with consultants and Ward Members, including assessment of the severity of the individual cases/areas. Based on these conversations, decisions would be made as to how the review would be undertaken in each ward/area.

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

(During the consideration of this item, Members discussed matters that necessitated the disclosure of exempt information. It was therefore agreed to move to exclude the press and public prior to any debate of exempt matters on the grounds that information would be revealed which related to the financial and business affairs of any particular person (including the authority holding that information)