Agenda item

(Cabinet Member with Special Responsibility Councillor Hamilton-Cox)

In accordance with Part 4, Section 7, Urgent Business Procedure Rules and S100B(4) of the Local Government Act 1972, Cabinet received a report from the Chief Officer (Environment) to allow Cabinet to consider objections to the City Council’s plan to charge for car parking in Lancaster on bank holidays.  The reason for the urgency was that a decision was required at this meeting to allow for any changes to be in place for 1 April 2014.

The options, options analysis, including risk assessment and officer preferred option, were set out in the report as follows:

Cabinet are requested to consider the objections and decide whether they wish to –

a)    Not uphold the objections – in which case officers will continue the necessary process to implement the decisions already made by Cabinet. As this decision has been taken using the Council’s procedures for urgent business it should still be possible to implement the changes on 1^st April 2014.

b)    Uphold the objections- in which case officers may have to advertise the change to the draft order and because of statutory timescales the order may not be implemented on 1^st April 2014.

Officers will only have to advertise the change to the draft order if Cabinet considers the change to be a ‘substantial change’.

If the change to the draft order has to be advertised this will result in a delay. This is because of statutory time scales. A delay will of course have a wider budgetary impact than just the estimated income of £5,000 that had been forecast for the introduction of bank holiday car parking charges in Lancaster.

In considering the objections (which are both only to the decision to introduce car parking charges in Lancaster on bank holidays) Cabinet should note-

·         Bank holiday charging for parking in Morecambe has been in place for several years now.

·         The Council has in place a parking strategy which sets out how best to manage car parking within this District. The strategy recognises that appropriate car parking charges can do much to support the strategy and the wider public realm. The introduction of bank holiday car parking charges for Lancaster was made to support the wider aims of the car parking strategy.

·         Lancaster BID have provided information to evidence that footfall in Lancaster on bank holidays is lower than normal. This could actually be seen as an indication that free parking on bank holidays has no great influence on attracting visitors to the City.

·         No substantive evidence has been provided as to what the negative impact on trade in the City Centre would be with.

·         The Council is very much supports a revitalised City Centre, which will prove a draw to residents and visitors. As such it is working with the County Council to deliver Square Routes and is also working on many other regeneration initiatives as well as being an active member of BID.

·         The significant contribution that properly managed car parking makes to the Council’s ability to deliver its priorities. 

·         The estimated budgetary impact of upholding the objection would be a shortfall in income of £5,000 per annum.

In considering whether the removal of the parking charges on bank holidays is a ‘substantial change’ and therefore requires to be advertised, Cabinet will note that the removal of the charge will reduce the cost of parking for the district not increase it. This may suggest that such a change is not of significant effect requiring advertisement. In addition to this, the removal of this charge may not be considered significant when viewed in the context of the overall order and the charges it imposes.

As outlined in the report Lancaster District Chamber of Commerce and Lancaster BID had been specifically consulted with prior to Cabinet considering this issue. No response was received at the time.

The officer preferred option is option a) Not uphold the objection.

Councillor Sands proposed, seconded by Councillor Hamilton-Cox:-

“That Cabinet resolve not to uphold the objections and that the process of implementing the decisions already agreed continue.”

Councillors then voted:-

Resolved unanimously:

(1)          That Cabinet resolve not to uphold the objections and that the process of implementing the decisions already agreed continue.

Officers responsible for effecting the decision:

Chief Officer (Environment)

Chief Officer (Governance)

Reasons for making the decision: