OVERVIEW & SCRUTINY COMMITTEE – 09/01/2014

Minutes of a Meeting held at the Town Hall, on Thursday, 9 January 2014 at 6.00 pm 3

Members of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee

Councillors T Sullivan (Chairman), S Barker, N Brooks (substituting for P Flegg), G Catchpole, P Coghill, G Douce, G Elliott, T Goldson, K Grant, P Light, M Parsons and S Webb

Cabinet Member in attendance

Councillor S Ardley Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Green Environment & Operational Partnerships

Other Members in attendance

J Wheatley and S Woods

Suffolk Coastal District Councillor in attendance

A Nunn Officers present

C Barnes (Transport & Infrastructure Manager), D Gallagher (Head of Customer Services & Commercial Partnerships), I Gregory (General Manager, Waveney Norse), S Keeble (Operations Manager, Waveney Norse), R Rusted (Waveney Norse) and A Stapleton (Democratic Services Officer).

Prior to the commencement of the agenda, the Chairman reminded those present that today’s meeting had originally been scheduled for 5 December 2013, and had had to be postponed due to the tidal surge and subsequent flooding on that date. He thanked staff and Members for the manner in which they had responded to this emergency, and the help they had provided to residents of Waveney affected by the flooding.

1 APOLOGIES FOR ABSENCE / SUBSTITUTES

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors A Cackett and P Flegg.

Councillor N Brooks attended as a substitute for Councillor P Flegg.

2 DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST / LOBBYING

Councillor Catchpole declared a Local Non Pecuniary Interest in Item 5 – “Car Parks Update – Progress Report” - as he was a Member of Beccles Town Council which had expressed an interest in taking on some currently uncharged car parks and open areas.

Also in relation to Item 5 – “Car Parks Update – Progress Report” - Councillors Coghill, Goldson and Sullivan declared that they had received emails from the Portas Town Team regarding a car parking survey they had carried out in the town.

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3 MINUTES

RESOLVED

(a) That the Minutes of the Extraordinary Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 24 October 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman, with the following amendment:

Page 6, paragraph 3, fourth sentence, the replacement of the word “manager” with “parenting”.

(b) That the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee meeting held on 7 November 2013 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chairman.

4 RESPONSES OF THE CABINET TO ANY REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OR REPORTS OF ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CABINET

There were no responses from or discussions with the Cabinet to be reported.

5 CAR PARKS UPDATE – PROGRESS REPORT

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Green Environment & Operational Partnerships presented a report which provided the Committee with the progress to date relating to the Strategic Car Parks Review.

The Deputy Leader reported that there had been a general decline in town centre activities over the past 10-15 years, influenced by a number of factors including an increase in out of town retail provision and the growth of internet shopping. This decline had in turn led to a reduction in car parking income. Other factors reducing car parking income included a lack of resources devoted to policing on-street parking regulations, with a subsequent increase in incorrect (previously illegal) parking, and the reduction in grant subsidy to local authorities, leading to a greater reliance on local income, including car parking income.

The report before Members focused on car park management and strategy, with options and recommendations to maximise income and usage, whilst minimising cost. Studies and evidence considered by the Strategic Car Parks Review Working Group had resulted in a number of options for further research, which Members were asked to consider, with more detailed options and recommendations being brought to the Committee’s next meeting in March 2014. The next phase of the review would focus on recommendations on proposed fees and charges, as well as a summary of each car park in detail and wider options such as potential alternative uses of surplus car parks. The focus of the next phase was picked up in the recommended way forward at Section 4 of the report.

Finally, the Deputy Leader drew Members’ attention to Section 3 of the report, which provided the Working Group’s progress to date, and which referred to a pack of information and sample data which would be provided to Members after the meeting.

At this point in the proceedings a presentation was given by officers which outlined: the main drivers of the strategic car park review; desired outcomes of the review; scope and brief of the review; general considerations; cost of providing car parking services; diversity of locations and uses; the review process; baseline data analysed; analysis of pay and display tickets and an explanation of the sample data to be provided to Members after the meeting; comparable usage measures (which contrary to the perception of a lack of car parking spaces in Lowestoft actually showed that even during the busiest periods demand was very much below supply); further evidence gathered; future changes which could affect car parking; key review findings; generic and specific review conclusions; options for both charged and uncharged car parks; specific examples of the potential future development of

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Belvedere Road Car Park and Battery Green/Whapload Road; the next steps of the review; and potential future aspirations.

Following the presentation the Chairman advised Members that the purpose of today’s meeting was to consider the findings of the review to date, and to consider what other issues Members would like taken into account in the next phase of the review, for reporting back at the meeting on 6 March 2014.

The following issues were raised during the discussion on this item:

Q The presentation states that the average motorist pays £1,600pa for fuel – is this accurate? Additionally, it states that loss of revenue from the 1 hour free parking trial in Halesworth has been £42,000 pa. This does not correlate with my own figures of a total revenue of £35,000 for all five car parks in Halesworth, so where did this figure come from?

A The average fuel consumption figure was provided by the RAC Foundation and is based on an average mileage of 12,000 pa. The Halesworth car park revenue figures came from the data from the ticket machines during 2012/13, adjusted for VAT, but these will be double checked before the next meeting of the Committee.

Q Did the recent trial of free parking at the Clifton Road Car Park result in increased parking events?

A It did, and positive feedback was also received from the Kirkley Business Association.

Q Despite the reduction in income to the Council, we owe it to the community to make every effort to increase footfall in our towns, and to create vibrant town centres. Halesworth is practically divided into two halves – the Thoroughfare and the Market Square. The one hour free parking trial mainly covered the Thoroughfare side of town, and I would make a plea that a similar experimental scheme be considered for Angel Lane South car park to cover the Market Square side of the town.

A One of the recommendations tonight is to seek feedback on the concessionary parking trials. Comments and requests received from Members, as well as from other parties direct to officers, will be taken into account in the review of this initiative.

Q There are a number of issues which affect the viability of town centres, one of which is the provision of public toilets. The toilets at Battery Green have fittings dating back to the 1980s.

A Provision of public conveniences will be the subject of a future separate review, which the Committee will be welcome to participate in.

NB: Councillor J Wheatley left the meeting at this point in the proceedings.

Q I am concerned that if Battery Green Multi Storey Car Park (MSCP) is developed for alternative uses, this will leave insufficient spare parking capacity in the town.

A Any innovative redevelopment of this car park would include an MSCP as part of the design, in the same way that the Castle Mall and Chapelfield in incorporate this.

Q Is more shopping the solution? Would this not just shift the problem by removing footfall from elsewhere?

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A Any large-scale mall (which is very aspirational and long term thinking) would revitalise the whole area, offering restaurants and an improved night time economy offer, and would draw people into the town centre.

Q We need to work using data from the car parking machines, not anecdotal evidence. Can you therefore tell me (a) how many spaces, including spare capacity, do we need in Lowestoft now; (b) which car parks in central Lowestoft make a loss; and (c) for what aspects of the property market is there currently unmet demand?

A (a) The current parking requirement in Lowestoft is 700 spaces, although this is affected by a number of factors and any improved retail offer would require further spaces. (b) The Battery Green Car Park currently makes a loss due to its significant capital costs. A full list of the income and expenditure of each car park will be provided at the March meeting of the Committee. (c) In terms of current demand, it would seem that office accommodation in the town centre is not viable. Additionally, there is currently no unmet demand for retail premises, as evidenced by empty shops in the high street. But there is demand for residential property, particularly lower cost housing, which the Council should be looking to encourage.

Q Section 2.1 of the report states that the shortfall in budgeted income faced by the Council is £400K. Is that just for car parking income?

A Yes, the Council’s approved budget shows this costed outcome purely on car parks.

Q What would be the cost of implementing the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) enforcement system in a car park?

A The cost would be approximately £15,000 in the first year, and an annual maintenance cost of approximately £1,600.

Q One of the graphs in the presentation shows good usage of Beccles car parks – but there are three car parks in Beccles, does this graph cover all three?

A Yes, the graph covers all three. Newgate and Hungate are the busiest car parks in Beccles, with Blyburgate less busy, partly because it has short stay restrictions which may not be needed. Newgate and Hungate are relatively full, despite being located close to the 300 space free Tesco car park.

Q Does the on-street parking enforcement referred to in Recommendation 4.5 mean the installation of parking meters?

A No, it means that we would like to look into the opportunity for the Council to take on responsibility for the enforcement of on-street parking, which is currently the responsibility of County Council and which, if carried out appropriately, could increase usage of the off-street car parks.

Q Waveney’s age profile is increasing, and older people may wish to park close to amenities.

A In fact, studies show that people, whatever their age, do not want to walk more than 20 paces from the car park to the amenities.

Q I couldn’t find a space to park in Beccles recently, however Newgate Car Park had six empty disabled parking bays, and it is a similar story in Blyburgate, as disabled drivers often park on the street.

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A The Council is obliged to provide these disabled parking bays, but people may choose not to use them and instead park on the street, although they would then be restricted to three hours’ parking with a blue badge.

Q Who would receive the proceeds of civil parking enforcement?

A The enforcing authority receives the proceeds.

Q I visited a car park in another area which stated you could not go back and buy another ticket to top up your time – do we do that?

A Only where there are short stay restrictions.

Q Page 32 of the agenda shows the increase in parking from the 1 hour free parking trial in Halesworth, are there figures available for this?

A Yes, the Thoroughfare previously averaged 5,000 paid 1-hour tickets issued per month before the start of the trial, and 17,000 free 1-hour tickets have been issued per month since the trial was implemented.

Q How can we evidence increased footfall in the towns and increased viability of the town centres and their businesses from the concessionary parking trials? I have anecdotal evidence that shops have stayed open because of the trials which would otherwise have closed, however I appreciate that factual evidence is needed.

A We know that footfall has increased from the parking statistics, however it is difficult to evidence that people spend more in the towns because of this, or whether they simply spend at a different time. Evidence might include new businesses opening up, or increased takings in existing businesses. We will consult with interested groups and associations in both Bungay and Halesworth and collate statistics and evidence.

Q Some councils have a “free from 3pm” afternoon. With many schools now closing earlier in the day, is this something we could trial to encourage people to come into the towns after school?

A No parking is actually “free”, somebody always has to pay. A free from 3pm initiative would be paid for by increased Council Tax, so non-car drivers or those who cannot come into the town at 3pm would be disadvantaged.

Q What is being done to increase provision of housing in the town centres?

A A group of officers from the Property, Planning and Regeneration Teams regularly discuss any free sites in the area and their potential for housing. Additionally, public assets which become available are looked at, for example the future vacant sites following occupation of the Riverside Road offices.

Q Page 34 of the agenda states that 88% of car park income is generated by just 15 of the 50 Waveney car parks. Can we have a list of which these are?

A The report to the March meeting of the Committee will provide this information.

Q Regarding an earlier statement that the short stay parking at Blyburgate Car Park may not be required, I feel that small independent retailers may suffer if this is removed. Combined with Roys car park, Blyburgate could be used in a more effective way – the bottom section, which is often empty, could be used for long stay parking, with the top part being short stay to support retailers. Could you liaise with Roys, retailers and Members to ensure this is fully considered?

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A The statistics show low usage for Blyburgate Car Park – around 50% of the usage of the other two Beccles car parks - with the ticket machine close to the 20 free spaces showing virtually nil, evidencing the difference between free spaces and short stay spaces in the car park. However, the issues you raise will be considered, and we will continue to try to engage with Roys on their future plans.

Q With the Beccles Library due to become the Council’s local office, the Blyburgate short stay spaces may be more frequently used.

A This will be taken into account, alongside any other changes in the local area which may come to light as the review progresses.

Q A lot of research would need to be carried out before any major redevelopment on car park sites, and detailed plans would be required.

A We have had some discussions with retailers and developers with some early indications of interest, however, any such developments would require robust business cases to ensure they were sustainable.

Q Given the car parking budget deficit, is this review aiming to eliminate the deficit whilst making best use of the land?

A The wider economic issue is important. We need to reduce our expenditure, and invest to save, for example through civil parking enforcement and ANPR. Having fewer car parks would reduce the business rates paid by the Council. There are a number of potential ways to reduce the budget gap whilst supporting the local economy.

Q At what point will you involve Town Councils and the business associations of market towns in this review?

A During the next phase of the review, stakeholder consultation will be critical. We have lost a month due to the unavoidable deferral of this meeting, however, we will come back to you with recommendations supported by regeneration colleagues, and stakeholder consultation will be ongoing.

Q The nearest comparison of a large scale development in a town centre is at Bury St Edmunds, with the major regeneration of the Cattlemarket site. There will be lessons to be learned from that development.

A Yes, local examples of town centre developments will be analysed.

Q In any development projects, we would need to take advantage of the expertise and experience of colleagues elsewhere who have already implemented such large scale projects.

A Agreed, although it is very early days, and we cannot yet know whether any car parks will be identified as surplus to requirements. We will also ensure we look at other coastal areas – we have spoken about Chapelfield and the Castle Mall in Norwich, however Norwich is more inland and therefore has a wider reach than a coastal area.

Q The car park at Oulton Broad South railway station is very popular. With the new offices planned for south of the river, and more joint working with Suffolk Coastal District Council, we will need to think about the infrastructure which joins these two areas.

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A Suffolk Coastal District Council’s Cabinet last night identified a preferred option for new office accommodation, and this too may influence such decisions.

Whilst discussing the recommendations, Members asked that Town Councils and business associations be consulted on future uses of car parks. It was also requested that consideration of the possible extension of the concessionary car parking trial to include Angel Lane South Car Park in Halesworth be included in the next phase of the review, and fed back as part of the report to the 6 March 2014 meeting of the Committee. Finally, as mentioned earlier, a cost centre table for each car park would be provided at the next meeting, showing the income and expenditure on each.

Some amendments were made to the recommendations on pages 21 and 22 of the report, and these are therefore repeated in full below.

RESOLVED

1. That officers progress the recommendations set out at Sections 4.1 – 4.7 of Report REP920, as amended below, and bring the results back to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee on 6 March 2014:

(a) Evaluate Automated Enforcement Systems, principally Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR);

(b) Review options for uncharged car parks;

(c) Review options for disposal, redevelopment or improved performance of underperforming car parks;

(d) Review options for improved road signage, eg Britten Centre from Clapham Road and improvements to Kirkley Rise (in consultation with Suffolk County Council);

(e) Explore opportunities for Civil Parking Enforcement and charging (on- street) with Suffolk County Council. To be undertaken by Waveney District Council (through its agent Waveney Norse);

(f) Seek feedback on the Bungay, Halesworth and Kirkley concessionary parking trials and look at ways to mitigate loss of income, and begin a review of business performance, new business start-ups and business rate income in order to provide evidence of the parking trials’ effect on the local economy;

(g) Make recommendations on each car park to revise the schedule of fees and charges, that then support and inform the Council’s future budget setting process.

2. That representatives from Suffolk County Council be requested to attend the Committee meeting on 6 March 2014 to assist the Council with the review, and specifically addressing recommendations 1(d) and 1(e) above.

6 UPDATE ON PREVIOUS SCRUTINY RECOMMENDATION ON FREE SCHOOLS

Following his update to Members at the last meeting on the Committee’s recommendation that “the process and criteria for applying for free schools” be included within the work programme for the Parliamentary Education Select Committee, the Chairman advised Members that he had been informed by Peter Aldous MP that the work programme for the Education Select Committee had now been set, and that the

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Committee would be undertaking an inquiry into certain aspects of the academies and free schools programme.

Details of the inquiry could be found on the Parliament website, and written submissions were invited on a number of points, including the process for approving, compelling and establishing academies and free schools, with a deadline of 19 December 2013. The Chairman reported that prior to that deadline he had provided the minutes of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s deliberations on Free Schools to the Education Select Committee, which he hoped would provide useful evidence to the inquiry.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to Peter Aldous MP for keeping the Committee up to date on this issue, and for pursuing it with the Chairman of the Parliamentary Education Select Committee.

The meeting was concluded at 8.38 pm

Chairman

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