Table update added 06.03.2024

The Head of Environment and Leisure introduced the report which included comments made on the draft Parking Policy from the public consultation and the final version of the Parking Policy.

Two local residents spoke on behalf of the residents of Queenborough about the proposed parking charges on the Isle of Sheppey.

Councillor Tom Nundy proposed the following amendment:

“Remove the charges proposed at the little oyster (Minster) park road and the library (Queenborough) This income would be replaced with:

-24k saved by not purchasing 3 parking machines.

-Charging at Swale House during week days and evening as we only charge at weekends currently.

-Charge for Motorhomes on the Shingle Bank and Shellness Road. Ideally there would be chargeable space at Barton’s point as it has most the facilities.

-Charge from coach parking at the new coach parking facility agreed to be installed opposite the shingle bank by the community committee on 1st March 2023.

-Use the money that could be saved from connecting Barton’s point to mains drainage and now not having to pay to empty the cesspit to fund this shortfall.

-Use any income from Barton’s point this year to fund the shortfall”.

This was seconded by Councillor Elliott Jayes who said that it was clear by the number of residents who had attended the meeting how important it was for the car parks in certain communities to remain free of charge.

The Chair invited Members to comment on the amendment, and comments included:

·         Residents should not have to pay in order to carry out physical exercise;

·         it was not right that volunteers had to pay to help local community centres and projects;

·         considered how much it would cost the council if car parking was free and how that would affect the recently agreed budget;

·         volunteers and residents had to pay for parking in Faversham Town centre and it would not be fair if it was not the same across the whole borough;

·         if one area had free car parking then all the areas with volunteer groups and leisure facilities should have free car parking;

·         it was important to listen to residents’ concerns;

·         the consultation posters placed in Queenborough and surrounding areas were not accurate;

·         could officers explore the option of transferring car parking assets to the Parish or Town Councils so they would be held responsible for the up-keep of the car parks?;

·         there were many heritage sites that provided key economic growth on the Isle of Sheppey so it was important people were not charged extra to visit those sites;

·         the £38k income generated by charging for parking in these small areas could be covered elsewhere in the borough;

·         would have liked to have seen a feasibility study in the report;

·         noted that 23% of car parking spaces were free in Sheppey, 1% in Sittingbourne and 10% in Faversham;

·         removing car parking charges would affect the budget in the future, not just the current budget;

·         needed to consider the Council’s climate change pledge and whether not charging for car parks was encouraging the use of cars; and

·         most of the car parks on the Isle of Sheppey were often empty so was difficult to estimate the revenue income of the car parks if people had to pay.

The Head of Environment and Leisure responded to points raised and explained that parking machines were funded on a one-off basis from ringfenced funds that came from fixed penalty notices and resident parking permits and therefore could not be classed as a saving. The Parking Policy working group had reviewed a lot of data over the last year and had put forward these recommendations.

Councillor Mike Whiting proposed a recorded vote be taken for the amendment and this was seconded by the Chair. 

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 3.1.19(2), a recorded vote was taken, and voting was as follows:

For: Councillors Cheesman, Jayes, Last, MacDonald, Marchington, Noe, Nundy, Shiel, Whiting, Winckless and Wooster. Total equals 11.

Against: Councillors B J Martin, R Palmer and Perkin: Total equals 3.

Abstain: Total equals 0.

The Chair announced that the amendment had been carried.

The Chair invited Members to make comments on recommendations (1) to (3) of the report. After a short discussion the recommendations were agreed.

The Chair invited Members to make comments on recommendation (4), which included:

·         It was unfair to charge residents in the evenings when it was difficult to feed families during a cost-of-living crisis;

·         needed to know the full impact charging for parking in the evenings had on local businesses;

·         what would happen if the recommendation did not go through?;

·         welcomed the good work that the Cross Party Parking Working Group had carried out and hoped to see more of their good work come forward to the committee;

·         this was a necessary revenue income for the Council’s budget;

·         if no one used the car parks in the evenings due to the new charges would this be reviewed and brought back to the committee to consider future charges?;

·         the change of evening time parking tariffs would be a cost saving as the Council would no longer need to have enforcement officers in car parks late at night; and

·         the working group needed to consider possible overspills that charging in car parks would create in roads that were not suitable for additional cars.

On being put to the vote recommendation (4) was agreed. 

Resolved:

(1)   That the responses to the draft Parking Policy public consultation be noted.

(2)   That the Parking Policy Member Working Group’s recommendations to the draft parking policy be agreed.

(3)   That the draft parking policy be recommended to the Policy and Resources Committee for adoption.

(4)   That the time period for car parking tariffs to be charged would be 7 am to 10 pm with no charge between 10 pm and 7 am.

(5)   That the three car parks set out in paragraph 2.14 of the report remained free to use as agreed in the amendment.