Agenda item

Report No:   CAB/SE/15/002

Chairman: Sarah Broughton           Lead Officer: Christine Brain

RESOLVED:

That the car park tariffs for 2015/2016, as set out in Paragraph 1.3.2 of Report No: PAS/SE/15/005 and the amendments outlined to the Borough of St Edmundsbury (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2010, as set out in Paragraph 1.9 of Report No: OAS/SE/14/001, be approved as part of the budget setting process for 2015/2016, subject to the exclusion of  the proposal outlined in Paragraph 1.9.4 of Report No: OAS/SE/14/001 and the satisfactory outcome of consultation with local residents on the remaining amendments to the Order.

The Cabinet considered Report No: CAB/SE/15/002 (AMENDED) (previously circulated) which informed the Cabinet of the following items discussed by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee on 29 January 2015:

(1)         Key Performance Indicators and Quarter Three Performance Report 2014/2015;

(2)         West Suffolk Strategic Risk Register Quarterly Monitoring Report – December 2014;

(3)         Work Programme Update;

(4)         Financial Performance Report (Revenue and Capital) Quarter 3 – 2014/2015;

(5)     Delivering a Sustainable Budget 2015/2016 Update;

(6)     Treasury Management Report 2014/2015 Investment Activity 1 April – 31 December 2014;

(7)     Annual Treasury Management and Investment Strategy Statements 2015/2016; and

(8)     Update on Procurement Exercise for External Fund Manager to Support Treasury Management Activities.

Councillor Mrs Broughton, Chairman of the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee drew relevant issues to the attention of the Cabinet, including that the Committee had informally considered the first three items listed above jointly with Forest Heath District Council’s Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee.

The Cabinet was informed that separate reports relating to Items (7) and (8) above were included on the Cabinet agenda as these required separate consideration of the recommendations provided.   In addition, a recommendation relating to car park tariffs for 2015/2016, which was considered as part of item (5) above was detailed in Report No: CAB/SE/15/002.  This recommendation was subsequently revised and included in the amended version of the report.

It was explained at the meeting that the bold underlined text in italics in the amended version of the report had been added to assist the Cabinet in its own decision-making on the findings of both scrutiny committees in respect of car parking (which were presented as a formal recommendation to Cabinet only once, under this item on the agenda).  The proposed amendment reflected the information which had been considered and noted by the Overview and Scrutiny Committee in December 2014, and was now necessary in order to seek authority from Cabinet to bring those matters into effect through a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), subject to the satisfactory outcome of the statutory 28 day consultation.  However, it was confirmed that this specific aspect of the car parking review had not actually been considered by the Performance and Audit Scrutiny Committee itself.  That Committee had only examined and endorsed the car parking proposals insofar as they affected the draft budget, a fact which would be reflected in the minutes of its meeting. 

A discussion was then held on Paragraph 1.94 of the report to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee regarding Car Park Tariffs 2015/2016 and the associated proposals to make changes to the TRO (Report No: OAS/SE/14/001 refers). Paragraph 1.9.4 had sought to introduce a low emission car park and vehicle tariff on the Old Sale Yard (Rose and Crown PH) car park in Haverhill.  However, Councillor Mrs Gower, Portfolio Holder with the responsibility for Haverhill, considered this proposal warranted further investigation as part of the full review of car parking currently scheduled to be held in June 2015.

As there were no budget implications as a result of removing this proposal from the recommended changes to the TRO, it was agreed to accept Councillor Mrs Gower’s suggestion.

RESOLVED:

That the car park tariffs for 2015/2016, as set out in Paragraph 1.3.2 of Report No: PAS/SE/15/005 and the amendments outlined to the Borough of St Edmundsbury (Off Street Parking Places) Order 2010, as set out in Paragraph 1.9 of Report No: OAS/SE/14/001, be approved as part of the budget setting process for 2015/2016, subject to the exclusion of  the proposal outlined in Paragraph 1.9.4 of Report No: OAS/SE/14/001 and the satisfactory outcome of consultation with local residents on the remaining amendments to the Order.