The Committee is requested to consider the referral from the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, minute 21, made at its meeting of 3 December, 2020, in respect of the recommendations made by the Car Parking Charges Working Group and agreed by the Committee.

A covering report, together with the minute and report from the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, are attached.

The Chair invited Councillor Liz Grey, Chair of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee, to introduce the report  of the Director of Law and Governance, which provided for consideration the final recommendations of the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee in respect to Car Parking Charges resulting from the findings of the Working Group which that Committee had established.

Councillor Grey clarified that the recommendations to this Committee proposed and carried by the Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee were for option 4, which was for the re-introduction of charges as to how they were before they were suspended. She went on to elaborate on the reasons to re-introduce car parking charges immediately with the Council currently foregoing income of approximately £1.8m, which would otherwise need to be found from elsewhere by cutting other services and the fact that most other Councils had reinstated their charges. Providing a service for free which was previously paid for did not sit with the Council’s Climate Emergency declaration, in subsidising driving of vehicles which might not be necessary, nor with the Council’s health and wellbeing goals.

The Chair thanked all the members of the Working Group and the Committee for all their work on this matter and for the information put before this Committee.

Members expressed a variety of views as to whether or not car parking charges should be reintroduced immediately. Some Members commented that circumstances had once again changed, with the country now in a third lockdown and that now would not be the time to re-introduce these charges. Other Members suggested the need to start charging again due to the substantial loss of income to the Council and the fact that not all these losses were covered by Government grants which amounted to 75%, although, as the Director of Resources clarified, the first 5% of this loss had to be discounted, in effect meaning 75% of the 95% remaining would be eligible for relief. She would be able to provide the figures in relation to the relief received from Government after the meeting.

In response to comments from Members Simon Fox, Assistant Director: Highways and Infrastructure stated that income lost between July and January when Government relief didn’t apply could have amounted to anything between £300,000 to £650,000.

Following further discussion on the proposals it was then moved by Councillor Chris Carubia and seconded by Councillor Phil Gilchrist, that:

‘Parking charges be re-introduced at all locations immediately, with the exception of Country Parks, for which charges would be reintroduced at the end of this current lockdown.’

The motion was put and lost (2:15).

It was then moved by Councillor Tom Anderson and seconded by Councillor Jeff Green, that:

‘In view of the change of circumstances since the Working Party considered this, with the country now in a third national lockdown, the reintroduction of parking charges at the moment would have a detrimental impact on small businesses when they open up, and also have a public health impact and discourage residents from using the Country Parks, therefore Committee resolves to continue with the suspension of Council car parking charges to be reviewed in April, 2020.’

The motion was put and lost (5:12).

It was then moved by Councillor Liz Grey, seconded by Councillor Pat Cleary and - 

Resolved (10:7) – That parking charges be re-introduced immediately at all locations.