Agenda item

Report of the Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion

The Portfolio Holder for Neighbourhoods, Safety and Inclusion presented a report on the implementation of the approved 2022/26 Medium-term Financial Plan proposal to introduce a Residents Parking Permit Charging Scheme where residents would receive a first permit free of charge (residential or visitor permit), and then be charged £35 for a second permit, and £50 for a third permit. The following points were discussed:

a)  Over 800 city streets are subject to parking permit arrangements. Public consultation was carried out between July and September in affected areas with over 32,000 households receiving letters. 1087 objections were received in response.

b)  The current scheme costs the Council over £500,000 per year to administer. The new scheme remains generous compared with other areas with the retention of an initial free permit and planned exemptions from charges in line with equality requirements.

c)  A question was raised regarding whether there were any conditions imposing restrictions on parking arrangements on the Nottingham Trent University Clifton Campus requiring the university to restrict parking for those from particular postcodes.

Resolved to:

1)  notes the results of the formal consultation that has been undertaken.

2)  Having considered the responses to the consultation and the Council’s duties under the Equalities Act 2010, the Traffic Management Act 2004 and section 122 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, approves in principle the making of the Nottingham City Council (City Wide, Nottingham) (Proposed Resident Permit Charges & Amendments to Articles) Traffic Regulation Order 2022, subject to further work first being undertaken to consider whether modifications to the proposed Traffic Regulation Order should be made to include dispensations to the charges for the second and third resident parking permits following further consideration of the consultation responses and the amended Equality Impact Assessment (“EIA”), attached to the report as appendix 5.

3)  Delegate authority to the Corporate Director, City Growth and Development in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Parks to approve the making of the proposed Traffic Regulation Order as modified following the completion of the further work outlined in resolution 2) above.

4)  Request that the Corporate Director for Growth and City Development establishes whether there are any requirements imposing parking restrictions on the Nottingham Trent University Clifton Campus.

·  Reasons for Decisions

There are around 800 streets in the city subject to Resident Permit Parking Restrictions. These have been introduced by Traffic Regulation Orders (“TROs”) over a number of years for varying reasons pursuant to the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, and in all cases will have been proposed in relation to excessive numbers of vehicles not associated with residents. The proposed Traffic Regulation Order as consulted upon needs to be “Made” and in place to authorise the Council’s proposed introduction of resident and resident visitor permit charges, by way of amending existing TRO’s that include provisions for Resident Permit Parking.

There are currently over 45,000 free residential and visitor permits in circulation. The current residential parking permit scheme costs the Council annually in excess of £500,000 to administer. This proposal, if the proposed Traffic Regulation Order is made, would generate an estimated £412,500 as a contribution to these charges.

Due to the financial position of the Council, and the proposals made within the Medium-Term Financial plan, if the proposed Traffic Regulation Order is made, the income received from the charges is required to support this function. To ensure adequate management of traffic throughout the Council’s permit parking areas, restrictions have been deemed necessary and should not be removed without additional investigation into the highway network impacts this action would cause. (Further funding and the successful completion of additional TRO’s would be required to enable the removal/amendment of any current TRO provisions).

The operation, management and maintenance of permit parking areas is needed to adequately manage the demand for parking, helping to ensure that non-resident parking does not take place to the detriment of residents, residing in these areas.

In many resident parking areas, parking capacity issues exist and charging for additional permits may encourage reduced vehicle use.

If the proposed Traffic Regulation Order is approved in principle and subsequently made the new residential permits will be paperless and sent virtually which will help reduce our carbon footprint. There will be no change to visitors permits which are printed, laminated, and sent out in the post.

·  Other Options Considered

One option is not to progress the proposed Traffic Regulation Order which allows for a charge for resident and resident visitor parking permits (not affecting charges for students and business permits), and retain the current arrangement which means the scheme would continue to be fully funded by the council taxpayers across the city. This option was not recommended as it would not deliver the savings required by the Medium Term Financial Plan.

A second option is to charge for all residents and visitors permits which are issued, removing the first free permit resulting in further contribution to the cost of permits. This would first require a further amended TRO to be prepared and consultation on that further amended TRO in accordance with the1996 Regulations with the public and statutory consultees. This is not recommended given that this has not formed the basis of consultation.