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Issue - meetings

Car Park Charging on the Countryside Estate

Meeting: 30/01/2018 - Cabinet (Item 17)

17 Pay & Conserve, Car Park Charging on the Countryside Estate pdf icon PDF 224 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED:

 

The Cabinet agreed that:

 

1.     Charging is introduced at 15 car parks across the 5 busiest sites as set out in Option 5 in paragraph 35 of the submitted report.

2.     Income from car park charging is ring-fenced for the benefit of the Surrey Countryside Estate.

3.     The tariffs are agreed as set out in paragraph 21 of the submitted report and thereafter forms part of the annual review process for fees and charges.

Reasons for Decisions

 

In order to ensure a secure future for the Countryside Estate in the stewardship of the County Council and Surrey Wildlife Trust, a steady revenue stream is critical.  SWT are working with the County Council to develop a range of opportunities to produce that income and help to protect and enhance the Countryside Estate.

 

The Countryside Estate is greatly valued by the public, however it is coming under increasing pressure from reducing budgets. The best way to protect and enhance the countryside for the future is to make the Estate self-funding and better protected against declining public sector budgets.  Paying for parking is an accepted cost of going to the countryside, demonstrated by the many sites that charge and are still very busy.

 

Without funding, the countryside will become more inaccessible, overgrown and littered.  All car parks on the countryside estate need regular litter collection, management of trees and other vegetation, upkeep of signs and surfacing and car park resurfacing.  Income from car park charges can help meet these costs and improve the biodiversity, landscape and access to this valuable asset.

 

The results of the consultation show us that the public would prefer not to pay to use the car parks however there is recognition that without a reliable income stream the result would be a deterioration in the quality of the estate and in access to the estate.   Of the payment options available, cash would be the most acceptable to the public.  However there are high operational costs and risks, for example theft and vandalism are more common where cash is collected in meters on remote sites. The National Trust are already reviewing their method of charging as a result of repeated vandalism.  The next most popular payment option was by card (some 95% of adults in the UK now have bank cards).

 

Many countryside car parks in Surrey and other rural areas make charges.  Following financial assessment, the analysis of the Pay and Conserve Public Consultation and recommendations from the Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee, it is felt that the most appropriate way of generating the necessary income is to introduce charging at the 5 busiest sites with card-only Pay and Display machines plus the option to pay by mobile phone or to purchase an annual parking permit.  The cost of an annual permit is £60 this equates to a daily cost of 16p.

 

[The decisions on this item can be called in by the Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee]

Minutes:

The Cabinet Member for Environment and Transport began by addressing the comments made under the public questions item in relation to comments made by the Secretary of State regarding a 25 year study of the countryside. He informed Members that the council had now responded to over 400 questions in relation to Newlands Corner and the Pay and Conserve proposal.

 

He explained that the proposals to introduce car parking charges was necessary to ensure that income was coming into the council to protect and enhance the countryside. He went onto say that Kent, Hampshire, Essex and the National Trust introduced car parking charges many years ago.

 

He thanked those that had responded to the consultation that had been held as it had helped officers understand the estate. He confirmed that any income that would come out of the car parking charges would be ring fenced for the countryside and that this was covered under the relevant Local Government Acts.

 

The Environment and Infrastructure Select Committee were also thanked for the work that they had done to contribute to the proposals and as a result officers were looking at putting in cycle racks at the sites.

 

The Cabinet Member for Children confirmed that she had visited two of the car parks scheduled to have charging implemented and stated that as a motorist, she expected to have to pay to park wherever she travels both in her own division and in other areas of the country. She said that 87% of Surrey residents lived in urban areas and all of these people were currently having to pay for the upkeep of the countryside estate and that charging would be in line with organisations such as the National Trust.

 

The Cabinet Member for Education queried how much the annual parking permit would be and where this would be obtainable. She commented that it was important for the car parks to be maintained so that access was easy, particularly for those in wheelchairs. Members were informed that the annual cost would be £60 and that this equated to 16p per day. The hourly cost was £1.30 and blue badge holders could park for free.

 

Members stated that due to financial pressures and increases in the number of vulnerable people in Surrey that required support there were difficult decisions to be made and that this proposal was a sustainable method to ensure that the countryside was maintained.

 

The Cabinet Member summarised by confirming that the council had the legal powers to impose car parking. He informed Members that there were ongoing discussions with districts and boroughs regarding enforcement of parking charges and that as a result of the charging proposals there would be further work to do to ensure potential vehicle displacement was addressed.

 

It was confirmed that the paragraph referencing in recommendation 3 was incorrect in the submitted report and this was revised to say paragraph 21 and then agreed.

 

RESOLVED:

 

The Cabinet agreed that:

 

1.     Charging is introduced at 15 car parks across  ...  view the full minutes text for item 17