Issue - meetings

This report seeks Cabinet’s approval to implement changes to parking charges, as a pilot, on a temporary basis, for the financial year 2014/15, to provide an incentive to residents and visitorsto encourage daytime use of the city centre car parks.

This report has been brought forward for urgent consideration to enable the changes to be brought in at an early date to complement the opening of the Vangarde Retail Park at Monks Cross. 

Resolved:   That Cabinet agree:

(i)           As a pilot, to change parking charges in Council-controlled car parks to provide free car parking between 8am and 11am from Thursday to Saturday, to start as soon as the machines can be altered, and up to 31^st March 2015;

(ii)          To the initial funding for the proposed trial coming from the contribution towards mitigation measures in the s106 for Monks Cross South and potentially other city centre access initiatives, should there be enough spare capacity in the funding pot;

(iii)        That should the impact on the Council’s revenue account be significantly greater than the estimate, members reserve the right to review and make changes to the discount mid-year. 

Reason:     To support the attraction of an increased number of visitors and residents to the city centre, which in turn will provide a platform for generating private sector contributions and other sources of funding to support further such initiatives.  

Cabinet considered a report which sought agreement to implement changes to parking charges, on a temporary basis, during the 2014/15 financial year to provide an incentive to residents and visitor to encourage daytime use of the city centre car parks. The pilot scheme would provide free parking for residents and visitors in selected Council controlled car parks from 8am to 11am Thursdays to Saturdays.

This item had been added as an urgent item to the Cabinet agenda to enable the changes to be brought in at an early date to complement the opening of the Vangarde Retail Park at Monks Cross.

The Cabinet Members confirmed discussions between City Team York (CTY) and local businesses on a range of potential measures to strengthen city centre resilience and increase footfall in the city. In an attempt to address some of these issues public realm improvements were proposed and development of a Business Improvement District (BID) was being explored.

It was noted that the cost of the trial, in terms of loss of income for parking revenue, would be met through mitigation measures in the Section 106 agreement associated with the Monks Cross South development. There was however a commitment from CTY to generate this revenue from the private sector, initially through the sale of a set of parking permits from the Council’s car parks and development of a BID.

Cabinet Members reiterated that the proposals were only a pilot and that monitoring would be undertaken on the impact of the discount on parking revenue and behaviour. It was noted that market traders welcomed the changes, which would coincide with the newly refurbished market, the changes would they hoped bring residents into the city centre earlier in the day.

Following further discussion it was

Resolved:   That Cabinet agree:

(i)           As a pilot, to change parking charges in Council-controlled car parks to provide free car parking between 8am and 11am from Thursday to Saturday, to start as soon as the machines can be altered, and up to 31^st March 2015;

(ii)          To the initial funding for the proposed trial coming from the contribution towards mitigation measures in the s106 for Monks Cross South and potentially other city centre access initiatives, should there be enough spare capacity in the funding pot;

(iii)        That should the impact on the Council’s revenue account be significantly greater than the estimate, members reserve the right to review and make changes to the discount mid-year.  ^1.

Reason:     To support the attraction of an increased number of visitors and residents to the city centre, which in turn will provide a platform for generating private sector contributions and other sources of funding to support further such initiatives.