Agenda item

To consider a report by the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager (copy enclosed) which updates members on the implementation of the car park asset management register and the associated investment programme, whilst seeking their views on them and on the work of the cross-service Car Park Task and Finish Group

11.15am – 11.45am

The Lead Member for Highways, Planning and Sustainable Travel introduced the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager’s report (previously circulated) the purpose of which was to update the Committee on the progress made with the implementation of the Car Park Asset Management Register and Investment Programme.  Also included in the report were details of the progress made by the Car Park Task and Finish Group in developing measures to improve the visitor experience for car park users.  Members were given an overview of various elements of the work undertaken to date as part of the development of the Asset Management Register and proposed Investment Programme (outlined in Appendix B to the report) and on the interventions identified by the Task and Finish Group by the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager.

Responding to the Committee’s questions the Lead Member, Corporate Director:  Economic and Community Ambition and the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager advised that:

·         they were satisfied with the progress made in developing various aspects of the work that required to be undertaken.  Undertaking the car park surveys had taken some considerable time, but the majority of the planning work had now been completed.  Officers had visited each Member Area Group (MAG) to brief them on the proposals and seek their support for the plans;

·         it was anticipated that the improvement programme in its entirety would take five years to complete.  Implementation was at an early stage with only approximately 12 new pay and display machines installed to date.  The cost of this work was being met from within the Car Parking Service’s budget;

·         the investment programme required further budget profiling prior to being developed into a Business Case for submission to the Council’s Strategic Investment Group (SIG) for approval; 

·         a phased approach would be taken for undertaking the work.  During the first two years present pay and display machines would be replaced with machines that would accept card payments and produce better data profiles of each car parks usage.  Signage would be improved in car parks during the early stages of the plan’s implementation as this would help improve the visitor experience by providing clear information on whether they were short or long stay car parks/areas of car parks.  More cosmetic improvements i.e. lighting and landscaping would be upgraded during the latter stages of the investment plan’s implementation;

·         further work was required in order to impact assess some of the interventions put forward by the Car Park Task and Finish Group i.e. transferable pay and display tickets between long stay car parks across the county, paperless parking permits etc.;

·         the investment plan constituted an investment in excess of £1.3m over a five year period in 44 of the county’s Council owned car parks.  Whilst the plan was fluid, work would be undertaken following a prioritisation exercise;

·         the Council’s contract for pay and display machines that accepted payment by telephone calls would run for another two years.  However, this facility was not widely used therefore the pay and display machines may be replaced with machines providing different functions when the contract expired;

·         the refurbishment works to be carried out on the underground car park in Rhyl would not form part of this investment plan.  The business case for that work had been approved by both SIG and Cabinet recently; 

·         the five year Car Park Investment Programme was aimed at maintenance and upgrading work on current Council owned car parks, any proposed plans to change car parking facilities or increase car parking capacity in any areas of the county would require to be based on a separate business case which would need the approval of SIG  ;

·         Denbighshire had opted to replace its pay and display machines with newer models from Parkeon.  Parkeon was widely acknowledged as a reliable supplier of pay and display machines with a large number of local authorities opting to install their machines.  Whilst Denbighshire County Council had chosen to continue to use them Conwy County Borough Council used a different supplier.  The purchasing of new pay and display machines was undertaken in line with the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules (CPRs) and national procurement rules.  By adhering to these rules and procedures the Council benefited from economies of scale pricing for goods; 

·         consultation on the proposals in the Investment Programme had been undertaken with the 6 MAG groups; city, town and community councils had not been consulted on the proposals;

·         paperless permits would entail Civil Enforcement Officers either scanning or manually inputting car number plates using hand held devices to verify that a permit had been purchased for that particular vehicle;

·         further work was required in relation to the type of electronic system that would be required to enable car park users to purchase flexible parking permits and on payment methods for such permits;

·         there had been a drop in car park income during the current year.  The potential for a further income drop in the future would be considered when determining the amount of prudential borrowing required to fund the improvements, so as to minimise the risk of creating a future budget pressure.

·         civil enforcement work relating to car parks in the county was set up to be cost neutral.

Prior to the conclusion of the discussion Councillor Arwel Roberts appealed to the Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager for his assistance to resolve a matter in Rhuddlan relating to the transfer of a car park to the ownership of the county council.  The Committee:

Resolved: - subject to the above observations –

(i)           to support the continuation of the work to implement the Car Park Asset Management Register, Investment Programme and the work of the Car Park Task and Finish Group; and

that a further report be presented to the Committee in twelve months’ time on the progress made in developing, implementing and delivering all elements of the Register, Investment Programme and the initiatives identified by the Car Park Task and Finish Group