Issue - meetings

This report requests Members’ approval to pilot the use of an independent  parking enforcement contractor operating on designated sites of housing land.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Housing be advised to:

• Approve option 1, to pilot for a period of 18 months using an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on the sites shown in Annex 1 to the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Housing

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To resolve problems and complaints from tenants and garage renters.

Consideration was given to a report that requested Member’s approval to pilot the use of an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on designated sites of housing land.

Opportunist parking on sites of land owned by Housing Services, but not governed by highways enforcement, had, over recent years, become an increasing concern, leading to problems for both tenants and garage renters.

Members felt that people were not renting garages due to the problems of accessing them. Officers were asked whether other areas could be included in the pilot scheme and they advised that being a pilot scheme they had tried to include a combination of sites to enable evaluation of the pilot scheme and its successfulness. Discussions were had regarding why there was not an option in the report to use the Council’s own parking enforcement service team. Officers explained that as the sites where the garages were situated were not public highways the Council’s parking enforcement team would not be able to issue civil penalties.

Members were presented with the following options:

Option 1        Pilot a parking enforcement service provided by an independent contractor on specific designated sites and review the outcome after a period of 12 months.

Option 2        Maintain the existing arrangements.

Advice of the Advisory Panel

That the Executive Member for Housing be advised to:

• Approve option 1, to pilot for a period of 18 months using an independent parking enforcement contractor operating on the sites shown in Annex 1 to the report.

Decision of the Executive Member for Housing

RESOLVED:             That the advice of the Advisory Panel be accepted and endorsed.

REASON:                  To resolve problems and complaints from tenants and garage renters.