Issue - meetings

Following a members’ request for an item at the Environmental Select Committee held on 06 September 2011, the Committee agreed to scrutinise the attached report considered by Cabinet on 18 October, (see attached Cabinet minute no.139), which provided an analysis of the Impact of Car Parking Charges on Wiltshire.

The Committee has also requested further information on the impact on bus subsidies generated from car parking income and a breakdown of income across Wiltshire’s communities’ ‘pre and post changes’ in car parking charges. To assist the latter request an excel sheet is appended to the report; for clarification:

·         No ticket sales are shown for the West Wiltshire Towns (Bradford on Avon, Melksham, Trowbridge, Warminster and Westbury) before July 2011 as the ticket machines did not record tickets sold until they were upgraded. Ticket sales for the three months since June are shown.

·         In previous years Warminster and Westbury Town Councils bought out free parking spaces. This was discontinued when the new prices were introduced. This has resulted in increased income.

·         Prior to the new pricing Salisbury had one hour parking off street , this was changed to two hour minimum when the new prices were introduced, subsequently the one hour period was reintroduced. This distorts the overall figures for tickets sold.

Full Council on November 8^th will be debating any future policy changes in this arena and the Committee has the opportunity to communicate any issues/recommendations that it feels appropriate to contribute to this decision.

The Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, Cllr Dick Tonge, was in attendance as requested by the Environment Select Committee held on 06 September 2011. Cllr Tonge informed the committee that the report in the agenda pack had been revised ahead of its consideration by Full Council on 08 November 2011. He outlined the revisions to the report as follows:

·         A new paragraph (paragraph 8) and appendix (Appendix 3) have been added detailing proposals made by Salisbury City Council, Salisbury City Centre Management and others that were considered by Cabinet on 18 October.

·         Chart 1, Table 2 and paragraphs 36-38 have been amended to take account of revised and updated car parking data.

·         A new appendix (Appendix 5) has been added outlining how the Council is supporting regeneration activities in Wiltshire’s towns.

·         A new paragraph (paragraph 40) and appendix (Appendix 7) have been added providing car park ticket sales and income for each town from April 2010 to September 2011

The key points of the report, Countrywide Analysis of Car Parking Charges, highlighted by the Cabinet member were:

·         The report’s conclusions that car parking charges were not of primary significance in relation to retail health, and that the primary factor encouraging economic success was the level and range of retail services on offer to visitors.

·         Shop vacancies across Wiltshire’s market towns had declined with the exception of Salisbury.

·         Within Salisbury, footfall levels had stabilised and undergone recovery since February 2011 after months of decline.

·         Short stay ticket sales have reduced by 5.8% as shown in like-for-like data tables for On and Off Street Parking Ticket Sales in 2010 and 2011. The figures excluded the areas of West Wiltshire and Salisbury.

·         In Appendix 7 figures were presented showing town by town ticket sales. It was emphasized that long stay ticket sales were down, and that sales were down for short stay even in some areas where prices had remained unchanged.

·         Appendix 8 presented mixed results where other local authorities reduced car parking charges.

A verbal update was provided on the impact on bus services of changes in car parking income. In Salisbury there had been an increase in the use of general bus services and of Park and Ride, but figures for the rest of the county April 2010- April 2011 showed a decrease of 9%. Carshare Wiltshire was up 73% in 2011.

Where car parking charges produced a surplus this money was hypothecated for use by bus services but in the case of a shortfall these monies would be found from the departmental budget. The committee was advised this arrangement was a legal arrangement.

Overall there was a £500,000 shortfall of income from on- and off-street parking for 2011-2012.

A debate followed, wherein concern was raised in relation to the time the committee had to digest the revised report. The committee also discussed the possibility that on street parking in residential estates had risen in response to parking charges. The committee was informed of the Cabinet Member’s intent  ...  view the full minutes text for item 191

Report of the Corporate Director – Operations is circulated

Public Participation

Mr Phil Matthews addressed Cabinet on this item.

The Leader explained that the report presented was a factual account with  supporting evidence providing a Countywide analysis of the impact of car parking charges. This together with any other evidence submitted by city/town/parish councils and through the scrutiny process would be used to enable Council to consider the matter fully at its meeting on 8 November 2011.

Cllr Dick Tonge, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport presented a report which examined the link between introduction of Wiltshire’s new car parking strategy and charges with car parking usage in the context of the current economic climate.

It was noted that the evidence in the report included the following:

• National and local economic data
• Retail trends data
• Research and studies showing the relationship between parking and market towns
• Car park usage and income data
• Evidence from other authorities
• Other strategies and plans.

The report provided the following key conclusions:

(i)           The findings of wider research are that it is what a town or City has to offer is the primary factor affecting economic health and not parking charges.

(ii)          Parking ticket sales were already in decline before the introduction of the new parking charges in April 2011. Neighbouring local authorities are also reporting a decline in car park usage and/or an income shortfall.

(iii)         A large number of local authorities have either brought in increased parking charges or are considering such a move.  A few have reduced their charges with limited and mixed results.

(iv)         National economic evidence shows that Britain is currently suffering from a period of slow growth, low consumer confidence and squeezed household disposable incomes. The rise of out-of-town shopping centres, large chain stores, supermarkets and the internet have also significantly impacted on the UK’s high street.

(v)          There are signs that some of Wiltshire’s towns are bucking the national trend.

(vi)         Parking charges provide essential Council income to support other services such as local buses and, as a demand management measure, can help the Council and its partners meet CO₂ and air quality targets.

Overall, it was considered that if parking charges were broadly appropriate, then the main factors affecting market towns were:

• wider economic factors (e.g. consumer confidence);
• societal trends (e.g. supermarket and internet shopping); and
• the actual offer a town makes.

The first of these factors was largely international in its origin and scope. The second was largely national. The third was local and was being addressed by the Council in the County’s largest towns through the Vision programmes. 

Cllr Tonge responded to questions and confirmed that he was seeking feedback from interested parties which together with feedback from the Environmental Select Committee’s meeting on 1 November would be incorporated into a report to Council on 8 November 2011. Concern was expressed over the timescale available to provide feedback in time for consideration by the Select Committee and the timescale to in turn provide the views of the Select Committee to Council a week  ...  view the full minutes text for item 139