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Meeting: |
Decision Session for Executive Member for Transport |
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Meeting date: |
22/04/2025 |
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Report of: |
James Gilchrist – Director of Environment, Transport and Planning |
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Portfolio of: |
Executive Member for Transport |
Decision Report: Urgent Review of
Parking Charges
Subject of
Report
1.
Some communities have raised specific concerns about the new
parking charges.
2. Following a request of members a temporary suspension of parking charges has been put in place at Micklegate and Priory Street.
3. Members have asked for an urgent paper to give options for temporarily pausing some charges, allowing a short period to review the impact of the new charges.
Benefits and Challenges
4.
It is important the Council listens to residents and considers the
issues raised. These issues have emerged at implementation
rather than during the legal notification process where notice is
published in the local paper. The challenge is that there is
a legal process to change the prices back to a previous
version.
Policy Basis for Decision
5. The parking charges proposed reflected the council’s policy position in terms of the Local Transport Strategy and reducing car dependency; improve walking, wheeling, cycling and buses so that frequent car use is less important as other transport becomes more attractive.
Financial Strategy Implications
6. Parking charges are not set in terms of income to the council but to achieve the transport strategy. These locations make up approximately 3% of income from Parking in York.
Recommendation and Reasons
7. The Executive Member is requested to:
i. Agree to pause the advertising of implementing charges on a Sunday morning in Micklegate and Priory Street to allow engagement with the community before a decision is taken.
Reason: to allow further engagement with the affected community
ii. Determine whether to extend the temporary suspension of parking charges on Micklegate and Priory Street or revert to the advertised and legal charges that were approved at Full Council on 27th February 2025.
Reason: to avoid the unintended consequences of free parking in the city centre.
iii. Determine whether to implement a temporary suspension of parking charges at Bishopthe Road Car park or implement the advertised and legal charges that were approved at Full Council on 27 February 2025.
Reason: to avoid the unintended consequences of free parking in the city centre.
iv. Delegate authority to the Director of Environment, Transport and Planning authority to make minor amendments to the parking charges for the financial year to April 2026.
Reason: to allow the timely change to parking charges once further engagement has concluded.
Background
8. Following an extensive consultation on the budget, in January 2025 Executive approved changes to parking charges. These were then further approved as part of the budget setting process at Full Council.
9.
Following the formal political decisions made at Executive on 21
January 2025 and Full Council on 27 February 2025, officers have
then followed the statutory process which requires publication of
notices for the changes at least 21 days before
implementation. The new charges came into effect on the
11th April 2025.
10.
The old charges cannot be applied without following statutory
procedures for prior notification.
11.
Whilst any increases in parking charges raises debate, some
communities have raised specific concerns.
12. These concerns can be summarised as follows:
a) The removal of free parking on Sundays in the Micklegate area will impact on the local churches.
b) The removal of the unique half hour payment from Micklegate has a detrimental impact on businesses.
c) The standardisation of parking charges in all car parks has a more significant impact on Bishopthorpe Road car park as it had a lower price than other car parks previously.
13.
Members have asked for a pause to the implementation and
enforcement of the changes on Micklegate and Priory Street to allow
a short period to consider these concerns.
14.
Following this request officers have suspended parking charges at
Micklegate and Priory Street and no enforcement will take
place. This is to allow the matter to be properly considered
at this decision session and a way forward agreed.
Consultation Analysis
15. The budget consultation for the 25/26 budget asked questions about the principles of increased parking charges which received 55% support.
16. The statutory process for changing on street and off street charges requires a notification process of 21 days before any change to charges can be implemented.
Options Analysis and
Evidential Basis
Decision on Sunday Mornings
17. The change to Sunday mornings on Micklegate has not yet been legally advertised so the Executive Member needs to determine if they wish to pause this. This decision could be deferred to allow further engagement or advertised to seek community views.
Temporary Suspension of Parking Charges at Micklegate and Priory Street
18.
A decision is needed whether to extend and formalise the
suspension of parking charges at Micklegate and Priory Street
beyond today. If extended this would negate the impact of the
new charging structure on the community.
19.
However, it also has potentially negative impacts as the risk is
that free parking this close to the city centre will be used by
commuters and prevents the community parking intended.
20. If the suspension of parking charges is not extended the Council can only legally charge those charges already advertised i.e. no half hourly option at Micklegate and Priory Street.
Bishopthorpe Road Car Park
21.
The Council can only legally charge the advertised parking
charges. This would mean the new standard charge at
Bishopthorpe Road Car Park in line with the other city centre car
parks would apply.
22. Therefore the options are to either charge the new charging structure or suspend parking charges in this location as well.
23.
Should charges be applied the impact on the community of the new
charges would be immediate whilst members consider the
representations being made and any future charging structure.
Future charging Changes
24. Any new charging structure members may want to apply would require 21 days of advertising, so are unlikely to apply for a minimum of a month from any decision point to change charges. Therefore it is proposed that any minor in year changes to the charging structure for this financial year to April 2026 are delegated to the Director of Environment Transport and Planning, in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport, or scheduled for a future Decision Session if more significant, to enable proper public scrutiny and input
Organisational
Impact and Implications
25. This report has the following implications.
· Financial, The Council is budgeting for a revenue income of approximately £6k a week across these sites. A short pause is not significant (circa 3%) in the context of the whole parking budget. Any pause will reduce revenue however it will not necessarily mean that the budget target is not met. Any new pricing structure is also unlikely to have any significant impact on the overall parking budget.
· Legal, In accordance with regulations made under sections 35C and 46A of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, any parking tariff changes will require publication for a minimum of 21 days in advance of their implementation. The introduction of any new parking charges where there is no existing charge is achieved by making a Traffic Regulation Order in accordance with statutory process.
The impact of the approved parking charges was considered in an Equality Impact Assessment (Annex A) and the impacts on the church and religion as a protected characteristic were identified and considered.
The risk that suspended parking charges will attract additional long-term parking potentially has a negative impact upon those with disability as blue badge holders may find it harder to find a space in this area.
Risks and
Mitigations
26. In compliance with the Council’s risk management strategy there is an acceptable level of risk associated with the recommended option, but the risk that other communities challenge parking charges.
Wards Impacted
27. Micklegate Ward
Contact details
For further information please contact the authors of this Decision Report.
Author
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Name: |
James Gilchrist |
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Job Title: |
Director of Transport, Environment and Planning |
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Service Area: |
Transport, Environment and Planning |
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Telephone: |
01904 552547 |
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Report approved: |
Yes/No |
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Date: |
DD/MM/YYYY |
Background papers
Executive Budget 21 January 2025
https://democracy.york.gov.uk/mgChooseDocPack.aspx?ID=14504
Full Council Budget
https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=331&MId=15004
Annexes
· Annex A: Parking Charges Equality Impact Assessment