Issue - meetings

Report of the Cabinet Member Built Environment.

RESOLVED THAT

1. the position as regards future on-street car parking enforcement being undertaken by a private contractor on behalf of GloucestershireCounty Council be noted
2. the Borough Council’s off-street car parking service be retained in-house as set out in this report pending a review by the Executive Director of the GloucestershireCounty Council’s Framework Agreement within the next 15 months.
3. the Executive Director in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Built Environment should ensure that adequate provisions are put in place to maintain a reasonable level of response to formal GloucestershireCounty Council requests for information specifically in relation to Highways related matters.

The Cabinet Member Built Environment introduced the report and explained that Cheltenham Borough Council currently ran the enforcement of both on and off street parking, on street parking being undertaken via a Highways Agency Agreement with the County Council. However, on 1 April 2013, as part of a county wide contract, on street car parking would be run by a private contractor. As a consequence CBC would have to adjust the structure for its own car parking service.

The Cabinet Member emphasised that maintaining off street car parking in house was vital as this was a major income stream for the council. He highlighted that a number of strategic initiatives were ongoing in the town, for example the Cheltenham Development Task Force integrated transport plan for the “Boots Corner” proposals. It was important that CBC played a full role in this in order to fulfil public expectations and to ensure that proper information was put forward in terms of future design changes.

Members agreed that it was vital that the Council should continue to be accountable for running the off street car parking service. However they were disappointed that having achieved joint enforcement, which had benefited the town, the parking team would now be broken up. Members were also concerned how on street car parking would be enforced under a private contractor. They believed the Council still had a continued interest in transport related matters, which included general street scene issues. CBC would continue to work in partnership with the county and also with the Cheltenham development Task force and the CBC Urban Design Team.

RESOLVED THAT

1. the position as regards future on-street car parking enforcement being undertaken by a private contractor on behalf of GloucestershireCounty Council be noted
2. the Borough Council’s off-street car parking service be retained in-house as set out in this report pending a review by the Executive Director of the GloucestershireCounty Council’s Framework Agreement within the next 15 months.
3. the Executive Director in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Built Environment should ensure that adequate provisions are put in place to maintain a reasonable level of response to formal GloucestershireCounty Council requests for information specifically in relation to Highways related matters.