Agenda item

To consider the attached report of the Strategic Director (Finance and Housing).

Members considered the report on the Review of On- and Off-Street Parking Charges.

The following had been carried over the Fees and Charges questions:

Q2.    Impact of the changes agreed at Cabinet yesterday on the £200K additional income figure that was in the parking report.

There was no income assumed from the new car parks in the budget for the first year as there was no way to accurately forecast usage levels. Accordingly, there was no impact from the changes to charging for rural car parks.

The same situation existed in respect of the proposed charges for disabled parking bays as this had not been included in the budget as income.

Q12. Re: parking charges, Is the use of RingGo going to be rolled out across the district? If so will this be the sole method of payment? An increase in 20p across the district for an hour will mean an hour's parking will cost £2.20 via RingGo. What will be the saving to DDC of using RingGo. How does that compare with using card payments only at machines?

RingGo was available in all DDC Off-street chargeable car parks and on-street chargeable parking. The charge was an extra flat rate 20p across all sites. That was the only charge that Ringo kept. This was on top of the Council’s set charges. Currently 62% off all transactions were through RingGo (increasing 10% per annum over last 3 years). The cost of a card transaction was a 2% fee which came from DDC income.

Q13. Item 3.3 no charge car parks. Stated that poor turnover therefore parking availability is actually limited and payment will reduce congestion. Do we have figures for this? Has a full review been done on these car parks as to current usage and future impact if charges are introduced. Has an hour free approach been considered? Will there be a step wise fee as in other car parks?

This was to be factored in as part of full parking review commencing in April 2024.

The Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Property, Councillor C D Zosseder, stated that the first hour free approach was something that would be considered as part of the review. The review would involve consultation with the parish councils.  

Q14. What would be the cost of policing the allocated disabled bays?

There would be no extra cost as it would be part of routine patrolling.

Q15. I understand parking charges had been trialled very briefly at barrow pit. What was the rationale/evidence that this was appropriate and what was the rational/evidence presented that enabled the decision to be reversed?

This had been trialled but there was insufficient evidence arising from the trial. It would be covered as part of full parking review commencing in April 2024.

In respect of the ‘Free from Three’ offer in the run-up to Christmas, the Portfolio Holder for Community and Corporate Property stated that this would be looked at as part of the parking review. Any feedback from businesses about it would be welcomed.

Councillor C A Vinson requested that the parking review come to scrutiny when it had been completed.