Issue - meetings

(Housing Portfolio Holder) To consider the attached report (C-024-2016/17).

(1)        That, for the foreseeable future, off street parking schemes be only constructed at the following sites, which were already committed, and funded from the existing 5-year combined Housing Revenue Account and General Fund Off Street Parking Capital Programme Budget (which currently had a budget provision of £1,855,000 available):

            (a)        The four sites agreed by the Council Housebuilding Cabinet             Committee in February 2015which had all progressed to the point of        planning applications being submitted and if approved, would commit around             £605,000 from the Off Street Parking Capital Programme Budget, namely:

(i)               Paley Gardens, Loughton;

(ii)              Torrington Drive, Loughton;

(iii)       Etheridge Green, Loughton; and

(iv)       Alderwood Close, Abridge;

(b)        The two sites where the Council Housebuilding Cabinet Committee had already agreed to fund the cost of demolishing the existing garages and to create off street parking spaces at an estimated cost of £40,000:

(i)         Springfield, Epping; and

(ii)        Loughton Way, Buckhurst Hill

            (c)        The four sites within Phases 1 and 3 of the Council Housebuilding   Programme, for which the relevant Area Planning Sub-Committees had   attached a condition to the planning consent to undertake a parking study and             to provide off street parking (if there was sufficient local resident support and          planning approval granted) at an estimated cost of £235,000:

(i)         The Roundhills Red Cross Site, Waltham Abbey;

(ii)        Roundhills Site 4, Waltham Abbey;

(iii)       Stewards Green Road, Epping; and

(iv)       Centre Avenue, Epping;

(2)        That, for future off street parking schemes (not including the above schemes in 1(a) and 1(c)), charges be made for the use of the off street parking bays through either one, or a combination, of the following options (as considered appropriate by the Director of Communities, in consultation with the Housing Portfolio Holder):

(a)        the sale of Residents Parking Permits in line with other Controlled Parking Zones in the District;

(b)        the provision of a hinged lockable bollard, rented to local residents at a cost of:

            (i)         £500 in the first year after implementation or re-instatement;             and

            (ii)        £250 per annum thereafter; or

(c)        through a Pay and Display Scheme, in line with other similar schemes on Highway Land around the District;

(3)        That the charges for the use of parking bays at future off-street parking schemes be added to the Annual Schedule of Fees and Charges for Housing Related Services and reviewed annually;

(4)        That the additional cost of monitoring the Controlled Parking Zones and/or Pay and Display bays for future schemes be met from the Off Street Parking Budget, with the income used to help fund any future maintenance costs or the construction of future schemes;

(5)        That any further off street parking schemes to be undertaken in the future be considered by the Cabinet on an annual basis;

(6)        That, prior to any Council Housebuilding planning application being submitted, transport studies be undertaken to assess the parking stress in the locality caused by any loss of garages and, because each planning application had to be determined on  ...  view the full decision text for item 68

The Housing Portfolio Holder presented a report on the review of rankings for future schemes and capital expenditure during 2016/17 for the construction of off street parking schemes on Housing land.

The Portfolio Holder reminded the Cabinet that 182 off street parking bays had been provided since 2009 at 12 streets across the District with the greatest need for off street parking, at a total cost of approximately £800,000 split between the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and General Fund Capital Programmes. The completed schemes had resulted in very high resident satisfaction, reduced the parking congestion in those streets and were used by residents free of charge.

The Portfolio Holder stated that, against the backdrop of the need to make savings or generate additional income across the Council’s budgets, it was clear there would need to be savings made to the HRA and General Fund Capital Programmes in future years. Therefore, it was proposed that future schemes would only be constructed where residents had clearly indicated they would be prepared to pay for use of the spaces, thereby generating an income to offset the high construction costs. Charges would be made for the use of the parking bays by way of Parking Permits, rented bays with lockable bollards or through a Pay and Display arrangement. The Council already operated a Residents Parking Policy, and where parking spaces were rented by residents then the charge would be £500 for the first year and £250 per annum thereafter, with an annual review. Any costs for monitoring Controlled Parking Zones would be met from the Off Street Parking Budget, and any income received would be used to fund future maintenance costs and/or the construction of future schemes.

The Portfolio Holder informed the Cabinet that it was being proposed that the Council should only undertake the currently committed off street parking schemes for the time being and that any future off street parking schemes would be considered in 2017 during the next annual review of the Programme. It was highlighted that there were ten schemes which had already been agreed which the Council was committed to constructing where charging would not be introduced. These were in Loughton, Abridge, Epping, Buckhurst Hill and Waltham Abbey.

The Portfolio Holder explained that off street parking for seven sites had been agreed by the Cabinet in February 2015; however, the schemes at Watermans Way in North Weald, Sycamore House in Buckhurst Hill, and Tillingham Court in Waltham Abbey had failed to gain the necessary support or surveys had established that there was insufficient Council-owned land available. Appendix 1 of the report listed all the schemes that had been registered, assessed and ranked.

The Portfolio Holder added that, in respect of the proposed scheme at Torrington Drive in Loughton, 72% of residents had been in favour of a scheme and 57% had been in favour of the scheme that had been submitted for planning approval. The contract for the construction of the scheme had been let and work would  ...  view the full minutes text for item 68