THIS REPORT RELATES COUNCIL TO ITEM 4 ON THE AGENDA

REGULATORY FUNCTIONS PANEL ENVIRONMENT SERVICES

3 September 2008 NOT EXEMPT

PROPOSED CONTROLLED PARKING ZONE -

1 SUMMARY

1.1 Stirling Council’s Parking Strategy, approved in August 2005, identified Dunblane as the second priority, after Stirling City Centre, for the development of a local strategy to tackle the town’s parking problems. Local organisations have also contacted the Council in recent years, requesting that action be taken to resolve the parking situation and the problems these have created for the community of Dunblane.

1.2 Following representation from the local community, a Parking Working Group was set up in 2005. Representatives from local organisations and the four Councillors, who represent Dunblane, were invited to join the group. The Working Group has been successful in identifying the areas of concerns, areas where parking provision can be improved or increased, and the potential controls that are required to manage parking in the core town centre.

1.3 The Parking Working Group developed a parking strategy for Dunblane. This strategy proposes a range of interventions and initiatives, aimed at providing a balance of parking within Dunblane, for all users, whilst supporting the economic vibrancy of the town. Appendix 2 contains a copy of the Dunblane Parking Strategy.

1.4 A key element of the strategy is the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) for the core centre of Dunblane. This CPZ enables the provision of parking to be controlled, permitting all-day parking on the periphery of the zone, with short-term parking in the centre. This approach improves access for all of the community, and increases availability of spaces, enabling spaces to be allocated for residential parking, disabled persons, taxi’s and loading.

1.5 The CPZ proposed for Dunblane includes the provision of pay and display parking and the introduction of a residents parking permit scheme. Section 3.16 of this report details these proposals.

1.6 Whilst this paper focuses on the introduction of the CPZ in Dunblane, some elements of the parking strategy have already been implemented, with others are currently being progressed. Paragraph 3.12 of this paper details these elements.

1.7 Two Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s) are required to be made to enable the CPZ to be implemented: One order will cover the on-street parking controls, and the other the off-street controls in public car parks.

1.8 Seventeen objections have been received to the proposed introduction of the CPZ (or elements of it) and the Panel are asked to consider and decide on these objections.

2 RECOMMENDATIONS

2.1 The panel note the content of the Dunblane Parking Strategy and the range of interventions identified to address parking problems in Dunblane.

2.2 That the Panel agrees to the introduction of a Controlled Parking Zone for Dunblane, and approves the associated Traffic Regulation Orders.

2.3 Instructs officers to continue to negotiate with Network Rail to resolve the contested claim about the parking areas on Stirling and Station Roads (currently publicly adopted roads but on land owned by Network Rail) and its effect on Railway Legislation.

3 CONSIDERATIONS

Background

3.1 Dunblane is an established commuter town, with very good rail links to Central . ScotRail have advised us that Dunblane now has the highest train usage per head of population in Scotland.

3.2 Dunblane has a vibrant town centre offering a variety of shops, restaurants, businesses and social activities, providing essential services to the community of Dunblane.

3.3 However, the level of all day parking in the centre of the town, and the limited parking management, is creating problems for residents, business, shoppers and visitors to Dunblane.

3.4 Although there are parking restrictions in some areas of the town centre, the majority of streets are unrestricted, permitting all day parking.

3.5 The problem with unrestricted, free parking close to an important Railway Station like Dunblane is that it attracts all day parking so much that such vehicles occupy most of the parking spaces to the detriment of residents, local businesses, the Community Market and Tesco’s. The proposed CPZ strategy addresses these issues.

Council’s Parking Strategy

3.6 The Council established a council-wide Parking Strategy with the intention of addressing parking and access issues in the towns and villages across the area. The Parking Strategy recognises that parking problems in individual communities will be different and recommends that a parking strategy should be established for each community to address the specific issues in that community rather than having a one size fits all policy. The Parking Strategy is included in Appendix 1.

3.7 The strategy prioritised the main towns and villages, with Dunblane ranking second on the list after Stirling City Centre. This prioritisation recognises the issues in Dunblane and the need to resolve these to the benefit of the community in Dunblane.

3.8 The key aims of the Council’s Parking Strategy are: -

• Support social and economic activities throughout the Stirling Council area.

• Integrate parking with other transport initiatives to provide a holistic response to the transport needs of our communities.

• Encourage the use of more public transport and other sustainable means of travel to enhance accessibility.

• Support an improved car park maintenance and modernisation programme.

3.9 All of the above apply in the developed Dunblane Strategy and the interventions that have been identified in it. However, as is the case in most of our large towns, the individual aims conflict with each other as there are not enough parking facilities available to satisfy each of the competing demands. In these circumstances, the strategy aims to address the specific local issues in a balanced manner with no single sector taking precedence.

Dunblane Parking Working Group

3.10 The Dunblane Parking Working Group was set up to consider parking issues in Dunblane, comprising representatives from the Community Council, Civic Society, Development Trust, Community Market, Tesco, a High Street Trader as well as local Stirling Council Councillors and Roads Service employees. Representatives from Transport Scotland and First ScotRail have now joined the Group. The minutes of the Group are circulated to the local MP and MSP.

3.11 The first task for the group was to establish a parking strategy, specific to the needs of the Dunblane community. Appendix 2 details this strategy.

3.12 The Parking Working Group first focused on providing additional parking facilities to cater for demands for all day parking. These were provided on the B8033 dual carriageway but the spaces were quickly occupied indicating a need for further action.

Dunblane Parking Strategy

3.13 The strategy addresses carbon emission reduction policies by proposing the introduction of parking charges at certain locations to encourage local people who can use sustainable means of transport to do so and provides free all day parking for others to facilitate the use of the train at Dunblane and avoid unnecessary car journeys beyond Dunblane.

3.14 The strategy also proposes short term parking controls to assist town centre shops and businesses and measures to assist local residents to park in Dunblane.

3.15 Implementation is in four main parts, incorporating short, medium and long- term interventions.

• Improvements to existing, or the creation of additional facilities for all day parking.

• Additional parking has been provided on the B8033 through Dunblane, which is very popular with commuters using the railway station.

• The layout of Millrow Car Park is being reviewed, and it has been identified that this car park may be suitable for expansion. However, this project is only in the very early stages and will require further discussions with the community before any plans can be confirmed.

• The layout of the Haining Car Park is being reviewed, and alternative parking for coaches in a more suitable location within Dunblane is being sought to improve the capacity of the car park.

• The management and control of parking in the core town centre to cater for needs of community and provide short-term parking is proposed.

• The introduction of the Controlled Parking Zone for the core town centre is proposed as detailed in this paper.

• Investigate with Transport Scotland and ScotRail, potential capacity improvements at Bridge of Allan Railway Station to release commuter pressures on Dunblane.

• After discussions with Transport Scotland, it has been identified that additional capacity may be achievable at Bridge of Allan Railway Station, and a feasibility study is underway.

• Previous feasibility studies have discounted possible increases to the capacity of Springfield Terrace car park to provide all day commuter parking. This was due to limited benefit, excessive costs, access issues, visual impact, and the impact of additional traffic on the immediate road network.

• Investigation of improvements to bus services within the town to improve links to train timetables and remove the need for short car journeys within Dunblane.

• In the short term, this will involve complimentary measures to promote and assist alternative means of accessing the station by walking, cycling, bus or car sharing.

Longer term will include measures such as: -

• Improving and promoting pedestrian routes.

• Improving and promoting cycle routes

• Improving cycle parking.

• Promotion of car sharing.

• Co-ordination of bus service timetables with rail timetables.

• Promoting the opportunity to access the station and town by bus.

Dunblane Controlled Parking Zone

3.16 The Controlled Parking Zone, proposes the provision of the following elements, and a plan illustrating this is shown in Appendix 3.:

• Residents parking on the west side of Springfield Terrace.

• A 2 hour waiting restriction on the upper level of the Springfield Terrace Car Park to enable shoppers to park to get to the Tesco Supermarket and other town centre businesses.

• All day parking at the lower level of the Springfield Terrace Car Park at a charge of 50p for 2 hours, £1.00 for 4 hours and £2.00 for all day. It is hoped that the charging will encourage local people not to take their cars to the car park and choose other modes of travel such as walking, cycling, liftsharing or dropping family members off at the front of the railway station. The charging is, thus, an incentive to reduce carbon emissions.

• Additional cycle lockers are being provided by Environment Services, later this year, at the railway station to encourage cycling within Dunblane.

• A controlled setting down / uplift area is proposed at the front of the station.

• A taxi rank, with space for 2 taxis is proposed adjacent to the station.

• The provision of residents parking at Bridgend.

• Waiting limited to 4 hours, at a charge of 50p for 2 hours and £1.00 for 4 hours on the permitted parking areas at Station Road and Stirling Road. This parking is mainly end-on in lay-bys on land which is still owned by Network Rail, with the parking areas being part of the adopted road. The minutes of Dunblane Town Council make it clear that this is the case, with agreement having been reached with British Rail in 1973/74 but Network Rail have yet to confirm that they agree with this position. However, the legislation being used for the Controlled Parking Zone relate to roads, including, roads not necessarily adopted by the roads authority. Thus, the legislation would apply in any case, whether or not the parking was adopted by the Council.

• The provision of residents parking on Station Road and Stirling Road.

• The increase of the existing waiting period in the High Street and Stirling Road from ½ hour to 1 hour.

• Waiting limited to 4 hours at a charge of 50p for 2 hours and £1.00 for 4 hours on-street in Mill Row. The Millrow Car park will remain free and unrestricted for the foreseeable future?.

• The provision of residents parking on-street in Mill Row and at The Cross.

3.17 The proposals are contained in the draft Stirling Council (Dunblane Controlled Parking Zone) Order 2008 and the Stirling Council (Off-Street Parking Places) (Regulations of Use) (Amendment No 6) Order 2008.

3.18 The Traffic Orders were advertised on 28 May 2008 with objections to be submitted by 18 June 2008. The advertising process for these orders, included the statutory consultees, the community groups of Dunblane, members of the Working Group, publication of the proposals in the local press, and direct consultation with approximately 300 residents and businesses immediately affected by the proposals. It is the objections received to these Orders that are the subject of this report.

Objections

3.19 A total of 17 objections have been submitted against the proposals. This is a very low number for a town with a population of approximately 9,000. The individual comments from the various objections are :-

• Commuters should not have to pay for parking – Residents – 3 Ashfield, 2 Dunblane, 1 Braco, 1 Crieff, 1 Blackford : 8 No.

• Residents parking permit should be reduced from the present £60.00 annual cost to £20.00, or free of charge – Residents – 3 Dunblane and the Community Council : 4 No.

• Integrated public transport system should be introduced before charging is implemented – Residents – 1 Blackford, 1 Dunblane, 1 Braco, 1 Greenloaning : 4 No.

• Insufficient parking for commuters – Residents - 2 Blackford, 1 Ashfield : 3 No.

• Residents parking permits should be provided for the High Street (adjacent to the library) - Residents – 2 High Street : 2 No.

• Perth and Stirling Councils’ should work together better to get Blackford Railway Station re-opened – Residents - 1 Dunblane, 1 Blackford : 2 No.

• Contrary to the Council’s low carbon emission policy – Residents -2 Ashfield : 2 No.

• Working group is not representative of rail commuters – Residents - 1 Greenloaning, 1 Ashfield : 2 No.

• Charges should not apply on Saturdays – Community Council : 1No.

• Income from parking charges should be ring-fenced for enforcement and further parking improvements in Dunblane – Community Council : 1 No.

• Waiting in High Street should remain at ½ hour instead of proposed 1 hour – High Street Butcher : 1 No.

• Objects to proposals for the end-on parking areas at Stirling and Station Roads because these are contained in the Station Lease – ScotRail : 1 No.

• Whole plan should be abandoned – 1 Resident Dunblane : 1 No.

• Proposals do not encourage cycling and rail use – 1 Resident Dunblane : 1 No.

• Resident permit holder should be able to use the upper level of the Springfield Terrace car park - 1 Resident Dunblane : 1 No.

• Insufficient planning and consultation has been carried out. – 1 Resident Ashfield : 1 No.

• Short term parking at Station Road, Mill Row and Stirling Road will not benefit the shops and should remain for commuters – 1 Resident Ashfield : 1 No.

• 1 Resident Greenloaning : -

• The areas on Station Road and Stirling Road are former Railway Land and as such were taken over for the provision of railway passengers.

• Prior to supermarket being built the area was primarily used for commuter parking.

• Four hour parking is unreasonable for commuters and mitigates against the use of the trains.

• No allowance made for passengers wishing to use the sleeper service to London.

• Train service will be reduced if people aren’t encouraged to travel by public transport.

• If only short term parking is available near the station people will spend longer driving about to find long term parking and increase pollution.

• Problem is as much due to population increases which has been given approval by the Council.

• Restrictions will stop people using Tesco and local shops.

• Impractical to use Bridge of Allan due to distance and car park already being at full capacity.

• Additional parking on the B8033 is too far away from the rail station.

3.20 The objectors letters will be available for inspection in the Members’ Lounge in the week prior to the Regulatory Functions Panel Meeting.

Comments on Objections

3.21 Comments on the objections are as follows:-

• The proposed charging for all-day parking in the lower level of Springfield Terrace Car Park, which will include commuters, is one of the key aspects of the scheme. This is intended to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging local people to use modes of travel other than a car, to get to the town centre and railway station. It is recommended that this charge remains.

• The residents permit scheme currently only operates in Stirling City Centre. The charge helps fund the administration of the permit system and the costs of enforcement. The present charge is £60.00 per annum, reducing this to, say £30.00, would result in a loss of income of £16,000.00 on the existing budget and this shortfall would require to be met from other Council funds if the Panel agrees to such a reduction. It is recommended that the permit cost should not be reduced.

• If this scheme is approved it is proposed to investigate the possibility of improving the bus service to Dunblane Railway Station and the town centre, in conjunction with ScotRail to further reduce car use.

• It is not intended to fully provide spaces for all day parking. The intention of the charging is to reduce the demand for parking. A drop- off area is proposed for the front of the station to further reduce the need for parking. Four additional cycle lockers will also be provided at the station, again to reduce parking by cars to add to the three existing lockers.

• The Parking Working Group considered providing residents parking permits for the High Street but the view of the Group was that there are only a limited amount of parking spaces in the High Street and these should be kept for short stay use rather than being further reduced by providing parking for residents. It is recommended that such permits should not be granted.

• Perth and Kinross and Stirling Councils both support the reopening of Blackford Railway Station but the decision on this is beyond the control of this Council and this objection should be noted. We have been in discussion with The Campaign To Open Blackford Railway Station Group (COBRA) about the Dunblane proposals and they accept the merits of the scheme.

• The proposals comply with the Council’s policy on reducing carbon emissions. The all day charging is proposed to discourage car use by people who could walk, cycle, use the bus, liftshare or get dropped-off at the station. A significant amount of free all day parking will remain with the proposals, thus, the proposals will still cater for people who wish to park in Dunblane and use the train rather than drive by car to their destination.

• The Parking Working Group was made up of representatives of all the local organisations in Dunblane, including the Community Council and local Councillors. The Group, thus, represented the whole community, including commuters. ScotRail and Transport Scotland gave their views at the last meeting of the Group on the proposals before they were advertised, further confirming that the potential views of commuters were taken into account with the proposals.

• The charges are proposed Monday to Saturday, inclusive. Although the commuter parking problem in Dunblane is less on Saturdays, this is still a prime shopping day. The Saturday charging is proposed to assist the shops and the traders and the Parking Group support its retention. Some residents adjacent to the railway station have said that parking is still a problem on Saturdays. Thus, to get the maximum benefit from the scheme, it is recommended that the Saturday charging be retained.

• The Council operates on a Council-wide funding basis. The Council’s income can be used to fund projects anywhere in the Council’s area. The funding being directed to Dunblane for the present scheme has not just come from Dunblane. Thus, the income from the parking charges should not be ring-fenced for Dunblane, it should come into the full car park budget, as normal.

• The Parking Group are keen that the ½ hour waiting in the High Street be increased to 1 hour to give shoppers more time to go to several shops to make purchases. It is recommended that the 1 hour should be approved.

• The objection from ScotRail is understandable. They have been leased the land under the parking areas at Station & Stirling Roads and, indeed, part of Station Road as part of their station lease by Network Rail and they, clearly, thought these parking areas were under their control. However, in 1973, British Rail and Dunblane Town Centre Council agreed that the Council would construct these parking areas and maintain them thereafter. The parking areas are on the Council’s List of Adopted Roads. The Panel are recommended to overrule this objection but remit to officials to complete the negotiations with Network Rail to finally resolve the situation with these parking spaces.

• The various individual objections are not considered to be sufficiently valid against the proposal and it is recommended that they all be overruled.

4 POLICY/RESOURCE IMPLICATIONS AND CONSULTATIONS

Policy Implications Diversity (age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation) Yes Sustainability (community, economic, environmental) Yes Corporate/Service (corporate plan, service plan, strategic aims, existing Yes policies or strategies, new/amended policy or strategy) Risk No Resource Implications Financial Yes People No Other (land, property, electronic etc.) No Consultations Internal or External Consultations Yes

Policy Implications

Diversity

4.1 The proposals include disabled parking, making short-term access available at appropriate locations, particularly for the more vulnerable and needy members of the community.

Sustainability

4.2 The proposals contain a significant amount of measures to discourage car use and encourage alternative modes of travel such as walking, cycling, liftsharing, uplift by family members, public transport (ie the trains) and taxi usage.

Strategies

4.3 The measures support the aims of the Council’s Local Transport Strategy, and Parking Strategy.

Resource Implications

Financial

4.4 Funding for the project is approved from the Council’s Capital Programme. On -going enforcement and administration will be funded from revenues generated from the Council’s car parking accounts.

People

4.5 The enforcement of the controls within the CPZ, will be undertaken, for the on-street areas, by existing Community Traffic Warden resources (Central Scotland Police). With the off-street (public car parks) being enforced by existing resources within Stirling Council’s Parking Enforcement team.

Consultation

4.6 Extensive consultation over the last thirty months has taken place with the Police, Dunblane Community Council, Dunblane Development Trust, Dunblane Community market, High Street, Dunblane Traders, Tesco Stores and direct correspondence with approximately 300 residents and businesses in the town centre directly affected by the proposals. The scheme as proposed is based on these consultations.

4.7 A total of seven meetings have been held of the Working Group and members of the Community.

4.8 The issuing of regular updating reports to all interested individuals, has ensured information on the proposals has been widely shared.

5 BACKGROUND PAPERS

5.1 The Councils Parking Strategy was used as the basis for the proposals – Included in Appendix 1.

6 EXEMPT INFORMATION

6.1 Not exempt

Author(s) Name Designation Telephone Number/E-mail

Alan Ogilvie Traffic Management Team Leader Ext 2487

Brian Roberts Road Improvement Manager Ext 2872

Approved by Name Designation Signature

Brian Devlin Director of Environment Services

Date 21 August 2008 Reference REP 899 RFP