Agenda item

(Epping Forest District Council) To receive a presentation from officers of the North Essex Parking Partnership, with regard to arrangements for the enforcement of on-street parking regulations across the Epping Forest District.

The NEPP Group Manager, Richard Walker and NEPP Area Manager, Michael Adamson attended to give a short presentation regarding the history of on-street parking enforcement throughout the county and the changing focus intended for the parking partnership for 2018 to 2022. This included the future financial modelling and included Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) functions, links with Highway Panels, common working between partnerships, operational, innovation and diversification/investment opportunities for on-street parking in the district.

County Councillor V Metcalfe  advised that she had concerns about only £1 million being spent over the 5 year period and that the 6 schemes a year for EFDC was inadequate for the size of the district. Furthermore, she was unsure on whether the restraints were down to resources or money and asked whether it’s was possible to fund highway schemes in other ways such as match funding. She also expressed an interested in how the links between NEPP and the Local Highways Panels (LHP) would improve and delivery of schemes would increase. The NEPP Group Manager advised that when he referred to the £1 million, it was in relation to the yearly operational costs for the enforcement service. He advised that there had been no TRO’s made by ECC at all between 2002 to 2011 with the exception of high priority safety schemes, which had impacted the district. He explained that a TRO took around 18 months to 2 years complete due to the required consultation, committee approval and legal consultation that had to take place, even when streamlined. There had been improvements such as an outward facing data base that provided information to the public about what schemes were current and opportunities to work in partnership with the EFDC. He advised that NEPP were looking to implement locally required schemes within the District as a matter of priority.

Councillor J H Whitehouse asked about the requirement of signage within a parking restricted area and whether NEPP would look to increase the amount of signs. The NEPP Group Manager advised Central Government had requested that signage be reduced within parking zones and restricted areas. He stated that the controlled parking zones had replaced all the yellow time plate signs and the residents parking zones had taken away the need for other signage, although NEPP had put in some repeated signage through certain areas in the district.

County Councillor C C Pond asked NEPP to comment on the eight underground TfL stations that were situated in the District and attracted commuter because of the financial savings. The NEPP Group Manager advised that a joint committee had been set up to consider area wide issues that surrounded hot spots such as railway stations, underground stations, hospitals, schools and colleges. The joint committees would consider the types of schemes that could benefit these areas and he advised that Epping had been suggested as a trial area.

Councillor J H Whitehouse asked how local ward councillors were contacted about informal consultations for residents parking schemes. The NEPP Group Manager advised that both the County Council Ward Member and District Council Member should have been consulted at every stage. He advised that the new process for an application, requested that majority consent from residents within the street be required along with the ward member before the application proceeded. Councillor J H Whitehouse welcomed the new process but asked that District Councillors be included in at the informal letter stage, so that when they were approached by residents they had some knowledge of the schemes.

County Councillor V Metcalfe commented that the enforcement had dramatically fallen within the EFDC and residents had reported to her about vehicles parking all day on double yellows lines. The NEPP Group Manager advised that the enforcement teams worked on a rolling shift basis, which he could monitor and pin point where officers had been patrolling and enforcement had taken place. However, the enforcement policies had been tightened up to ensure better enforcement which had resulted in neither the income decreasing nor the amount of PCN increasing. The NEPP officers were based in Harlow and transported to the Epping tube station to be dispersed along the Central line, ensuring officers were in Buckhurst Hill and Loughton areas everyday and he asked that if Councillors had any particular areas of concern, to raise them directly with him so that officers could be deployed. He explained that the areas patrolled were dependent on the restrictions in place and details could be provided on the amount of observations and PCN issued within areas of concern. There were currently 14 officers that worked between the Harlow and Epping authorities, over 7 days a week between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. and occasionally until 10 p.m. The shift pattern was currently being changed to include more late night enforcement and on Sundays. He advised that there were four mobile patrol vehicles for both Harlow and Epping and the Park Safe vehicle was shared across 5 of the 6 districts in NEPP, which resulted in a six week allocation, shared between Harlow and Epping, although if a particular school required the vehicle it could be deployed. The NEPP Group Manager advised that Councillors were welcomed to shadow an officer.

County Councillor V Metcalfe asked how NEPP were looking to improve relationships with the LHP’s. The NEPP Group Manager advised that all the LHP’s worked very differently across the authorities, although this was changing with all LHP being more involved in decisions.

Councillor J Lea asked whether they considered if EFDC had their fair share of patrolling and what was happening about persistent offenders who obstructed the highways and pavements. The NEPP Group Manager advised that obstruction without lines on the highway was a Police matter, although NEPP were trying to get the offense decriminalised so that they could enforce. Obstructions on yellow lines were enforceable with a PCN and multiple offenders could now have their vehicle removed. There was also a national move towards trying to prohibit vehicles parking and blocking pavements.

The Chairman thanked the officers for attending and advised that any questions could be forwarded to officers at parking@colchester.gov.uk .