Agenda item

Report No: OAS/SE/19/004

The Committee received and noted the above report, which presented an update on the car parking service between January 2018 and November 2018, identifying use by customers and projects undertaken across the year.

The report provided a detailed analysis of car park usage across the Borough (including the Country Parks and Leisure Centres); the number of fines issued during the period; details of where improvements were being made to the service; an update on the situation regarding the implementation of Civil Parking Enforcement (CPE) in the Borough and West Suffolk; a summary of planning for future car parking in Bury St Edmunds; and future work streams that were currently being explored.

Members noted the report with interest and asked questions of the officers, particularly in respect of:

(a)     whether the recent changes in highways infrastructure in Bury St Edmunds town centre had affected the reported downturn in car parking transactions and income;

(b)     the perceived need by some residents, retailers and shop owners that had held discussions with some Members of the Committee for a ‘Pay on Exit’ car park in Bury St Edmunds to encourage longer stays in the town.  Councillor Speed reported that some users would apparently be satisfied with paying a higher tariff for ‘Pay on Exit’ if this was a consequence of being able to stay longer;

(c)     better promotion of season ticket availability;

(d)     whether the usage figures quoted in the report, particularly for the Ehringshausen Way car park in Haverhill, were accurate, and whether the actual income for each car park could also be provided in future updates in addition to the numbers of car parking events recorded;

(e)     signage issues, the responsibility of which was under Suffolk County Highways and officers liaise with them accordingly;

(f)      disappointment that a go-live date for CPE was not yet forthcoming; however, it was acknowledged that this was due to awaiting a commencement date from the Department for Transport; and

(g)     the perceived success of the ‘Free from 3’ and pre-Christmas free parking initiatives in Bury St Edmunds and Haverhill,

to which comprehensive responses were provided. Particular discussion was held on the issues of car park occupancy at peak times which as a consequence limited the ability to deliver a Pay on Exit payment facility. The Committee recalled that Cabinet agreed in 2015 that all car parks must operate below 95% occupancy at peak times before Pay on Exit could be implemented or risk significant town centre congestion. Current peak time usage meant this level had not been met. Nevertheless, the Council recognised the preference by some users to be able to pay at the end of their visit and to flexibly extend their stay if required. To this end, new technology was being explored with RingGo that would enable the user to pay at the end of their stay and officers were working on a proposal using mobile communications that was aimed to be trialled from the spring 2019.  The Committee accepted the trialling of the new mobile telephone ‘app’ was a positive move forward and looked forward to perusing the outcome and findings of the trial, which would form part of the  Car Parking Review due to be undertaken in summer 2019.

In respect of (c) above, officers would look into whether better localised signage could be displayed in car parks to better promote the sale of season tickets.  In respect of (d) above, the figures were accurate and the actual income generated from the car parks would be provided in future reports. In respect of (g) above, there was no statistical data available as car park users were not required to obtain a ticket during the free periods.  Feedback on whether the initiatives were successful or not in generating additional footfall would be obtained from a range of sources including users, Members, partners, business and retail shop owners and taken into account as part of the full Review.

There being no decision required, the Committee NOTED the car parking update.