Supplementary report in response to the scrutiny of the call-ins of the decision made by Cabinet on 17 January 2024, to follow

 

Lead Member – Councillor Dan Morris – Portfolio Holder for Highways

 

Report of Andy Wilde – Assistant Director - Infrastructure

RESOLVED:

 

To agree the recommendations 1-7 as set out in the report (NB these are too lengthy to include in the decision list so please see pages 3-5 of the report for recommendations here).

 

The Portfolio Holder for Highways introduced the report which set out the revised recommendations following a call in of the original proposal which was brought to Cabinet in January.

 

The report considered issues raised by Scrutiny Committee in relation to the original report. Members noted that there was no formal minute as yet but the issues they asked to be re-examined were:

 

a)          Compatibility with the Shrewsbury Movement and Public Space Strategy and current strategies in relation to graduation of parking charges in Shrewsbury according to proximity to the town centre.

b)          Why there is no increase at Raven Meadows Multi-Storey Car Park

c)          The effect on the economy

d)          Risks related to the Park and Ride service

e)          The use of surplus income from the Parking Service

f)             Maintenance history and arrangements

g)          Consultation methods

h)          The parking charge Band applied to Wem

i)            The necessity for and potential changes to Evening parking charges in Shrewsbury

j)            The necessity for and potential changes to Sunday parking charges throughout Shropshire.

k)          The potential for parking to be displaced into neighbouring areas

 

The Portfolio Holder presented a summary of the revised recommendations:

 

1.          Wherever the original recommendation was to use a Notice of Variation it has been changed to a notice of proposal to make a Traffic Regulation Order, which includes a consultation/objection period.

2.          ‘Evening Charges’ are now capped at £1.00 during any period between 6pm and 10pm

3.          The Sunday Charge where charges are to be introduced is capped at the normal charge for 1 hour.

4.          The new charge at Abbey Foregate will be £0.80 per hour.

5.          The new charge at Raven Meadows multi-storey car park will be £2.40

6.          Evening Charges will apply to Abbey Foregate and St Julians Friars as per 2. above

 

Concerns were expressed that the proposed increases were excessive and disproportionate, and the effects the proposed increases would have on towns outside Shrewsbury.

 

The Portfolio Holder advised that there will be a revamp of the parking strategy and the bands of parking will be looked at as part of that.

 

RESOLVED:

 

To agree the recommendations 1-7 as set out below:

 

Recommendation 1 (in twelve parts) – parking tariffs

 

3.1      Cabinet is requested to approve advertisement of Traffic Regulation Orders for consultation on each of the twelve items shown in Table A and the subsequent   consideration of objections and making of the Orders if appropriate in accordance with the delegation to the Assistant Director of Infrastructure set out in Part 8 of the Council’s Constitution.

 

 

 

 

 

3.2   Table A

 

Recommendation	CURRENT BAND	CURRENT TARIFF (Per Hour)	NEW TARIFF (Per Hour)	LOCATION	SUNDAY TARIFF
1a	1	£2.80	£3.60	Shrewsbury On-Street	Full
1b	2	£2.00	£2.80	Bridge St, St. Austins St, The Quarry	Full
1c	2	£2.00	£2.40	Raven Meadows	£2.40 flat fee
1d	3	£1.20	£1.60	St. Julians Friars	Full
1e	4	80p	£1.20	Frankwell – Main, Riverside and Quay	£1.20 flat fee
1f	5/4	60p/80p	£1.00	Bridgnorth, Ludlow On-Street (Blue), Much Wenlock	Half
1g	2	£2.00	£2.20	Ludlow On-Street (Red)	Full
1h	3	£1.20	£1.40	Ellesmere Mereside	Full
1i	3	£1.20	£1.40	Bridgnorth, Ludlow, Oswestry, Ellesmere	Half
1j	5	60p	80p	Abbey Foregate, Whitchurch, Ludlow, Market Drayton, Much Wenlock, Church Stretton	£0.80 flat fee
1k	6	40p	60p	All the above plus Wem and Prees Heath	£0.60 flat fee
1l	7	Free	Free	All other car parks	-

 

 

Recommendation 2 (in five parts) – Season Tickets

 

3.3      Cabinet is requested to approve advertisement of Traffic Regulation Orders for consultation on each of the five items shown in Table B and the subsequent consideration of objections and making of the Orders if appropriate in accordance with the delegation to the Assistant Director of Infrastructure set out in Part 8 of the Council’s Constitution.

 

3. 4     Table B 

 

Recommendation	CURRENT BAND	CURRENT TARIFF (Per Annum)	NEW TARIFF (Per Annum)	LOCATION EXAMPLES
2a	3	£512	£681	St Julians Friars
2b	4	£640	£960	Frankwell
2c	5	£480/£640	£800	Bridgnorth
2d	5	£480	£640	Abbey Foregate, Whitchurch, Church Stretton
2e	6	£320	£480	Ludlow, Oswestry, Market Drayton

 

 

Recommendation 3 (in nine parts) - resident permits

 

3.5      Cabinet is requested to approve advertisement of Traffic Regulation Orders for consultation on each of the nine items shown in Table C and the subsequent consideration of objections and making of the Orders if appropriate in accordance with the delegation to the Assistant Director of Infrastructure set out in Part 8 of the Council’s Constitution.

 

3.6      Table C

 

Recommendation	CURRENT BAND	CURRENT TARIFF (Per Annum)	NEW TARIFF (Per Annum)	LOCATION EXAMPLES
Shrewsbury Car Parks
3a	3/4	£512	£768	Frankwell (Band 4), St Julians Friars though Band 3 has been linked to Band 4 for permits only
3b	5	£384	£512	Abbey Foregate, Shire Hall Overflow
Shropshire Car Parks
3c		£100	£110	Ludlow On-Street
3d		£50	£58	Bridgnorth On-Street
3e	4	£512	£640	Back Lane, Much Wenlock
3f	5	£384	£512	All other locations
3g	6	£256	£384
3h	Special	£448	£560	Riverside Bridgnorth
3i	Special	£192	£288	Prees Heath

 

 

Recommendation 4 – (In 4 parts)

 

3.7      Cabinet is requested to approve advertisement of Traffic Regulation Orders for consultation on each of the four additional items for Shrewsbury town shown in Table D and the subsequent consideration of objections and making of the Orders if appropriate in accordance with the delegation to the Assistant Director of Infrastructure set out in Part 8 of the Council’s Constitution.

 

3.8      Table D

 

Recommendation Number	Description	Detail
4a	Remove all daytime capped rates in Shrewsbury i.e. Abbey Foregate, Frankwell and Raven Meadows	From maximum fee of 8 hours to hourly charge for all hours
4b	Introduce evening tariffs to Shrewsbury on-street parking places	6.00pm-10.00pm.  £1.00 flat fee
4c	Introduce evening tariffs to Bridge Street, St Austins Street and The Quarry car parks	6.00pm-10.00pm.  £1.00 flat fee
4d	Introduce evening tariffs to Frankwell,  Abbey Foregate and St Julians Friars car parks	6.00pm-10.00pm.  £1.00 flat fee

 

 

Recommendation 5 – Parking Asset Improvement Plan (P.A.I.P)

 

3.9      Cabinet approve that a Parking Asset Improvement Plan be prepared.

 

Recommendation 6 – Parking Service Review

 

3.10    Cabinet approve to a review of the role, capacity, structure and staff in the Parking Services operation.

 

Recommendation 7 – Parking Strategy

 

3.11    Cabinet approve that a new On and Off-Street Parking Strategy be developed for Cabinet approval in principle, prior to non-statutory public consultation.