At its meeting on 4 July, 2017, the Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee referred the Scrutiny Review on Resident Parking to the Cabinet. A covering report, Overview and Scrutiny Committee minute and Scrutiny Review are attached.

Councillor Stuart Whittingham introduced the report, which stated that, following a report presented to the Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee in July 2016, a Task and Finish scrutiny review on Resident Parking was added to the Committee’s work programme. The main objective of the review was to understand the issues around the Resident Parking Policy and to help inform the development of a new policy for Wirral.

The scrutiny review was conducted over a number of question and answer evidence sessions and the report set out the findings and recommendations of the Task and Finish Scrutiny Review Panel. 

Councillor Whittingham informed the meeting that he supported the majority of the recommendations in the Review but had some new proposals to insert into the recommendations. These new proposals were due to the fact that some of the historic schemes were in areas where households were struggling to make ends meet.

Councillor Phil Davies informed the meeting that the Chair of the Scrutiny Review Panel, Councillor Jean Stapleton, was unfortunately unable to attend to present the review and had sent her apologies. He commented that the amended proposals put forward struck the right balance in maintaining those historic schemes which had been introduced with no charge for residents and which they shouldn’t now have to pay for and a reasonable charge of £10 per annum for new schemes.

On a motion by Councillor Whittingham, seconded by Councillor Phil Davies, it was -

RESOLVED: That -

(1)  Cabinet notes the findings of the report and approves the first three recommendations of the Task and Finish Group;

(2)  for new schemes and those introduced since 2007 under the most recent policy, the charge for resident permits should continue to be fixed at £10 per year until further notice;

(3)  for the majority of historic schemes introduced before 2007 where residents do not currently pay a charge for resident permits, existing residents already living in these areas should continue to enjoy these for free with the exception that new residents moving into these areas from 1 April 2018 should pay £10 per year;

(4)  officers are instructed to commence the necessary legal processes to amend the relevant Traffic Regulation Orders on that basis.

Councillor Angela Davies left the meeting whilst the next item of business was under discussion.

At its meeting on 4 July, 2017, the Business Overview and Scrutiny Committee referred the Scrutiny Review on Resident Parking to the Cabinet. A covering report, Overview and Scrutiny Committee minute and Scrutiny Review are attached.

Councillor Phil Davies reported that this item of business had been deferred.

The Chair stated that Councillor Jean Stapleton was unable to attend the meeting but had asked that her thanks be recorded in respect of the officers who had facilitated and helped with the review and also Councillors Dave Mitchell and Chris Blakeley, who had sat on the Review Panel with her.

The Chair asked Councillor Dave Mitchell and, with the agreement of the Committee, Councillor Chris Blakeley to speak to the report on the findings and recommendations of the Resident Parking Scrutiny Review completed in June 2017. The Review was commissioned by the Committee at its meeting on 12 July, 2016, when the Committee had received a report on the Council’s Resident Parking Policy. It had been a number of years since a review had been undertaken and they commented that with the review they had tried to come up with the easiest possible way to bring the resident parking scheme into line. A number of meetings had been held with officers and a small number of residents had also attended an evidence session.

The report gave details of the scope, methodology and key findings of the review and proposed a number of recommendations to ensure the Resident Parking Policy was fit for purpose.

Members expressed their thanks to the panel for all their work.

Keith Rodgers, Traffic Network Manager, addressed the Committee and referred to the fact that only 3 schemes had been introduced since 2007 mainly due to the inflexibility of the existing criteria.

Responding to comments from Members he stated that there were no proposals to change the criteria for there to be a minimum requirement of 80 per cent support from residents and the criteria that local businesses should not be disadvantaged would also remain.

The Chair suggested that there might be a lot of objections when the new policy was introduced and expressed concern at the reduced size of the department which would have to implement the proposed changes and asked how long it might take.

In response Mr Rodgers acknowledged that staff were fully committed but that, subject to Cabinet approval, a phased approach to the changes would get underway with some consultation within six months.

The Chair asked that Mr Rodgers report back to the Committee with an update on the latest position and thanked the Scrutiny Officer, Mike Lester, for all his work on the review.

It was then moved by Councillor Dave Mitchell, seconded by Councillor Steve Williams and –

Resolved –

(1)  That the contents of the report and the findings and recommendations of the review be endorsed.

(2)  That the report be referred to Cabinet for consideration of the recommendations made.