Subject: SDC Car Parks Parking Management Systems

THE CABINET 23 MAY 2016

Subject: SDC Car Parks – Parking Management Systems Lead Officer: Olly Scholefield Contact on 01789 260884

Lead Member: Councillor Mike Brain

Summary The existing Pay-on-Foot parking management system in the Bridgeway car parks and the Pay & Display parking payment machines in the Council’s other chargeable car parks are approaching the end of their life and therefore need to be replaced. There is, within this, an opportunity to enhance the payment methods available to car park users. This reports sets out the options for consideration. Recommendation That one of the options in paragraph 4.2 of this report be endorsed and the Head of Technical and Community Services be authorised to implement the endorsed option.

1 Background/Information 1.1 Currently, Pay & Display arrangements are in place at six of the chargeable Council car parks and Pay-on-Foot arrangements are in place at Bridgeway multi-storey and surface car parks. 1.2 Existing parking management systems are as follows:  Pay and Display Car Parks - Metric Aura pay machines were installed in the Council’s Pay and Display car parks in 2008 and these are now seven years old. Indicatively, these machines have a working life of approximately five years.  Pay on Foot Car Parks - The current Alfia parking management system at Bridgeway has been in place since 2002 and is at the end of its life. 1.3 A report to The Cabinet on ‘Options for the roll-out of new parking Pay and Display machines’ was included in the 30 November 2015 Agenda, but was subsequently withdrawn, the minutes stating: The Portfolio holder informed the meeting that this item was to be withdrawn from the agenda pending a more detailed scheme of operation to be submitted to a future meeting. RESOLVED: That consideration of the matter be deferred to a future meeting. 1.4 A separate report to The Cabinet on 9 February 2016 on ‘Parking Service – Service Improvements’ was considered, the meeting minutes stating: Consideration was given to a report which outlined a number of service improvements being planned for the spring of 2015 for the Council’s Parking Service. These included […]: 1) Moving Bridgeway multi-storey and Bridgeway surface car parks from Pay on Foot to Pay & Display; […] At the invitation of The Leader, Councillor Moorse addressed The Cabinet and expressed concern over the proposal to move Bridgeway car park from ‘pay on foot’ to ‘pay and display’, as he considered that this would disadvantage users. Whilst The Cabinet did see this as a disadvantage they understood the financial and operational reasons surrounding this decision. Nevertheless, The Cabinet did agree to the suggestion that this issue be referred to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee for consideration. The options open to The Cabinet were to accept, reject or amend the proposals. Accordingly, it was RESOLVED: 1) That Proposal 1 be approved, subject to the agreement of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee as detailed in the preamble above; […] 1.5 Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report on 25 February 2015. The report included a ‘Comparison of the merits and costs of a Pay on Foot or Pay & Display system at Bridgeway Car Parks’. These are attached to this report (as Appendix 1). Overview and Scrutiny Committee resolved: That the resolution not be supported and that The Cabinet be requested to consider further consultation on the proposal, especially with the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stratforward. 1.6 This was subsequently considered by The Cabinet on 16 March 2015 who resolved: That further consultation be undertaken with all interested parties on the proposals to move Bridgeway multi-storey and Bridgeway surface car parks from Pay on Foot to Pay and Display.

2 Public Consultation 2.1 A public consultation was duly carried out in July/August 2015, inviting comments from the public, agencies and partners (including the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stratforward). The consultation established that:  70% of respondents expressed a preference for a Pay-on-Foot system at Bridgeway car parks;  18% of respondents expressed a preference for a Pay & Display system at Bridgeway car parks;  12% of respondents did not express a preference for either system at Bridgeway car parks.

3 Pay-by-Card Provision

3.1 The public consultation exercise also asked whether car park users would use Pay-by-Card as a payment method if it were available. In response, 59% stated that they would.

3.2 New machines, incorporating Pay-by-Card facility (Chip & PIN and contactless payment), were installed in the Recreation Ground car park at the end of October 2015; opportunistically, as a trial, to replace seven machines that had been damaged by vandalism.

The Pay-by-Card facility in the payment machines:

 Necessitates the removal of the Stratford Card payment option as the machines cannot provide both options;  Negates the need for a Pay-by-Note option;  Provides car park users with the ability to request a printed receipt.

To date, there have been no issues associated with the removal of the Stratford Card and Pay-by-Note options.

4 Options Available to The Cabinet

4.1 The Council currently holds £191,590 of s106 money which is ring fenced for car park improvements. This money could be used to fund the improvements to the parking payment infrastructure. Working with this figure as a budget, options 1 or 2 would allow the replacement of a proportion of the 36 existing Pay & Display parking meters. Officers have considered how these can best be accommodated as part of a pay machine consolidation exercise.

4.2 Option 1: Install a new Pay-on-Foot parking management system, in the Bridgeway car park – This would cost approximately £100,000. The advantages and disadvantages of this option are set out in Appendix 1 below. In addition, this option would:  Allow the replacement of approximately 10 - 15 of the 36 existing parking machines in the Council’s Pay & Display car parks;

 Allow one hour’s free parking as per current arrangements.

4.3 Option 2: Change Bridgeway car parks to a Pay & Display parking management system - this would cost approximately £40,000. The advantages and disadvantages of this option are set out in Appendix 1 below. In addition, this option would:

 Allow the replacement of 20 – 25 of the 36 old parking machines in the Council’s Pay & Display car parks;  Result in more effective and efficient management and patrolling of the service as all car parks will be on the same parking management system;

 Offer potential revenue savings efficiencies due to a reduction in the number of contracts for system maintenance and support;

 Allow implementation in a shorter timeframe than option 1; and

 Allow one hour’s free parking as per current arrangements.

4.4 Option 3: As per Option 1 above with additional funding of approximately £120,000 from capital maintenance programme (2015/16) slippage to replace the remaining exiting parking machines in the Council’s Pay & Display car parks. 4.5 Option 4: As per Option 2 above with additional funding of approximately £70,000 from capital maintenance programme (2015/16) slippage to replace the remaining existing parking machines in the Council’s Pay & Display car parks. 4.6 Option 5: Consider other options.

5 Implications of the Proposal

5.1 Legal/Human Rights Implications

5.1.1 There are no legal implications with these service changes. The Council’s Off-Street Parking Places Orders 2013 have been previously revised to facilitate the service changes and no further revisions, or advertising of such, is required. There are no human rights implications.

5.2 Financial

5.2.1 Cost implications are set out above. Budget to meet this cost has been identified in s106 money. Any additional budgetary requirements under Option 3 and Option 4 would be met from the £203,000 slippage from the planned capital maintenance programme 2015/16.

5.3 Environmental

5.3.1 The current car park service has made significant improvements to the car parks and wider environment.

5.4 Corporate Strategy

5.4.1 Meets Corporate Strategy Aim 1: A flourishing local economy.

5.5 Analysis of the effects on Equality 5.5.1 All SDC car parks include specialist parking bays for disabled use and many provide parent and child bays. The car parking service links with Shopmobility to improve access to Stratford-upon-Avon. 6 Risk Assessment

6.1 The car parks are a key entry point to Stratford-upon-Avon and support the visitor and local economy. To maximise the benefits our car parks can provide it is important that we provide an effective, welcoming service.

7 Conclusion 7.1 The current parking management systems are approaching the end of their life and replacement systems need to be implemented. Options are available to The Cabinet on the type of system to implement as detailed in 4 above.

Tony Perks HEAD OF COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL SERVICES

Background papers: Public Consultation results SDC Car Park Survey Stratford - Results 2015