Agenda item

This report reviews representations received to the Statutory consultation for the proposed revocation of the Multiple Occupancy Permit and the Multiple Occupancy Discount Permit from the available permit types within the Residents parking Scheme.

The proposed revocation of the permits was advertised on 23 May 2025, with the representations received to the proposal considered within this report, to help provide the Executive Member for Transport to make a considered decision on the proposed amendment.

Resolved:   To approve an amendment of the York Parking Stopping and Waiting Order 2014 to remove the Multiple Occupancy Permit and Discounted Multiple Occupancy Permit from the available permits within the residents parking scheme.

This will remove the permits from available permits, with all residents currently utilising the permit being moved to a household permit.

This will require a change to the online permit system, to allow for all households permit holders to apply for visitor permits, to ensure all residents of HMO’s are able to have visitors not just the first permit holder.

The amendment to the Order will not be able to made until the systems has been upgraded to allow more access to visitor permits.

Reason:      The removal of the permit reduces the impact on the Residents Parking scheme from the increase in the properties that are Houses in Multiple Occupancy; if the Residents Parking scheme were to become oversubscribed it makes the scheme ineffective, as there would be too many vehicles for the available spaces.

This report was presented by the Principal Engineer Traffic Manager, who outlined the proposed scheme. He acknowledged the unique position of the speaker whose residence was also a House of Multiple Occupancy (HMO) business. He suggested that this resident would need to separate the household part from the HMO business (effectively creating two separate properties within the same building). He also acknowledged another resident who had contributed to the consultation, opposing the scheme on the grounds of cost, but whose comments had not been included in the original report document, noting that these had been published in supplement 2.

The Executive Member said this scheme had been designed to align council policy with national guidelines concerning HMOs. She acknowledged all concerns received via the consultation and in public participation, also acknowledging feedback received from the Guildhall ward councillor. The proposed permits would actually be issued at a residential rate for the first issued per residence, so would potentially work out cheaper for many households. ResPark holders can park anywhere within the whole ResPark area.

The Executive Member agreed that the situation of the speaker who lived in the building from which she operated an HMO business was unique when compared to other residents positions – and that in fact hers was the only such situation in York. She proposed a discussion with the speaker outside of the session to attempt to achieve an equitable solution.

Addressing further concerns expressed over the proposed scheme, the Executive Member confirmed with the Principal Engineer Traffic Manager that the current system of registration needed to be updated to allow more than one separate registration per household, and the scheme would not be put in place until assurances had been given that this was in place.

The Principal Engineer Traffic Manager added that the new arrangements proposed that each resident in an HMO would be able to apply for their own visitors permit rather than being restricted to one for the whole communal household, which would hopefully be more accessible for residents who needed additional permits.

The Executive Member therefore

Resolved:   To approve an amendment of the York Parking Stopping and Waiting Order 2014 to remove the Multiple Occupancy Permit and Discounted Multiple Occupancy Permit from the available permits within the residents parking scheme.

This will remove the permits from available permits, with all residents currently utilising the permit being moved to a household permit.

This will require a change to the online permit system, to allow for all households permit holders to apply for visitor permits, to ensure all residents of HMO’s are able to have visitors not just the first permit holder.

The amendment to the Order will not be able to made until the systems has been upgraded to allow more access to visitor permits.

Reason:      The removal of the permit reduces the impact on the Residents Parking scheme from the increase in the properties that are Houses in Multiple Occupancy; if the Residents Parking scheme were to become oversubscribed it makes the scheme ineffective, as there would be too many vehicles for the available spaces.