Agenda item

Report to follow

That the following be approved:

1.            The parking arrangements, following the move to the Forum in January 2017, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the Cabinet report;

2.            The groups of designated users who will be entitled to apply for a parking permit as set out in paragraph 5.3;

3.            The charge for permits as set out in paragraph 5.4;

4.            The commencement of a formal consultation for a Traffic Regulation Order (Borough of Dacorum (Off-Street Parking Places) (Hemel Hempstead) Order 2016) to amend current parking arrangements within the Watergardens North and South car parks, Moor End Road and Wood Lane End car parks as set out in paragraphs 4.4 and 9.1-9.4 of the report;

5.            Delegating authority to the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources to consider the consultation responses received pursuant to recommendation 4, and to decide whether to make the Traffic Regulation Order or discontinue the order; and,

6.         Revoking the relevant parts of the

Decision

That the following be approved:

1. The parking arrangements, following the move to the Forum in January 2017, as set out in paragraph 2.2 of the Cabinet report;
2. The groups of designated users who will be entitled to apply for a parking permit as set out in paragraph 5.3;
3. The charge for permits as set out in paragraph 5.4;
4. The commencement of a formal consultation for a Traffic Regulation Order (Borough of Dacorum (Off-Street Parking Places) (Hemel Hempstead) Order 2016) to amend current parking arrangements within the Watergardens North and South car parks, Moor End Road and Wood Lane End car parks as set out in paragraphs 4.4 and 9.1-9.4 of the report;
5. Delegating authority to the Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources to consider the consultation responses received pursuant to recommendation 4, and to decide whether to make the Traffic Regulation Order or discontinue the order; and,

Revoking the relevant parts of the existing Dacorum off-street Traffic Regulation Order.

Reason for Decision

To seek authority to formally consult upon proposals to make a new Traffic Regulation Order to facilitate changes to parking following the move to The Forum in January 2017, and to approve proposed changes to parking regulations in Moor End Road and Wood Lane End car parks.  

Implications

Not implementing this Traffic Regulation Order could cause displacement parking on roads around the town centre. Failure to provide parking could impact upon the Council’s ability to recruit and retain staff.

Implementing this Traffic Regulation Order should not cause any displacement of the public. The resurfacing works have been brought forward to make the necessary work less disruptive, they do not add any additional cost.

These works are necessary, and will be awarded on the basis of a competitive

tendering process.

Health & Safety Implications

There will be an increased number of people walking from the Water Gardens North car park across Combe Street to the Forum but this does not raise any particular health and safety concerns as adequate crossing points are available

Occasional use of the Water Gardens North car park during the evening. Additional lighting and CCTV will be installed to address the safety concerns around increased evening use.

Corporate Objectives

Providing this parking will keep Hemel Hempstead town centre a clean, safe and enjoyable environment by preventing increased on-street parking following the loss of spaces around the Civic Centre.

These changes will contribute to a modern and efficient Council by ensuring that key users are able to access the Forum building as required, essential car users returning from off-site visits are able to find parking, and the Council is able to recruit and retain the staff it needs to provide a high quality service to residents.

Monitoring Officer/S.151 Officer Comments

Monitoring Officer:  

Comments have been incorporated into the report.

S.151 Officer

Based on the count data within the report, the proposal to create a permit area for designated users within the Water Gardens North car park will not displace public parking and will not therefore result in a loss of income for the Council.

Advice

The Portfolio Holder for Finance and Resources introduced the item and said the report was to deal with the move to The Forum and to accommodate council staff and members without causing more congestion or costs. Using the Water Gardens North car park will be a more effective use of the space available. There will be a £25 permit for a year and the Portfolio Holder would like to thank the Innovation and Improvement Officer for all his hard work on this project.

The Portfolio Holder for Housing said that this was a good scheme and members that do not come to the Council during the day will be able to make use of the free parking in the evenings and not have to buy a permit.

The Portfolio Holder for Environmental, Sustainability and Regulatory Services asked if the Forum had designated disabled bays. The Portfolio Holder was concerned about people with mobility problems that might not necessarily qualify for a blue badge. There is no lift in the Water Gardens car park and it is a fair distance to walk.

The Corporate Director for Housing and Regeneration said that the lower floor in the Forum has designated disabled bays so blue badge holders can park there. The Corporate Director said that only 4 or 5 staff fit in that category at the moment but Assistant Directors and Group Managers are currently collecting information from staff members to identify any issues.

The Leader of the Council asked if there was any short term flexibility for on-site parking.

The Corporate Director for Housing and Regeneration said that there will be a limited number of dedicated spaces and there will be no reserved spaces. However, a criteria for staff needing a space on site for the short term is something that could be looked at.

The Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration said that he had recently visited Luton Borough Council and the nearest available parking was 25 minutes away on foot. The Portfolio Holder said that the Council are very fortunate to have available space nearby.

The Leader of Council advised Cabinet that the Council had taken the opportunity to deal with the other car parks in the town at the same time. There will be an improvement in the availability of short stay parking with a 2 hour maximum time limit in the Water Gardens South. Also, there will be a four hour tariff in the Moor End Rood car park, not just an all day one. This car park is not big enough to introduce short stay parking. He also said that he hoped for better technology with different ways to pay for parking with a new car parking contract in the future.

Voting

None.