Agenda item

Cabinet Portfolio:                 Jobs and the Local Economy

Strategic Directorate:           Regeneration and Environment

Consideration was given to a report which was presented for pre-decision scrutiny ahead of the Cabinet meeting scheduled for 23 December 2019 which sought formal adoption of a new Town Centre Parking Strategy, which formed a broad policy statement indicating that the Council would maintain an appropriate level of parking provision which was commensurate with the environmental, development and economic needs of the Town Centre and its businesses, visitors and residents and that the Council would undertake the enforcement of parking activities in a fair, consistent and proportionate manner.

It was reported that the strategy set out the Council’s approach to parking in the Town Centre and would help ensure that the following key actions were met:-

·         Occupancy levels will be reviewed annually to help ensure that the appropriate level and location of parking provision is maintained.

·         The impact on parking capacity of any new development within the town centre will be monitored to manage demand and promote sustainable modes of travel through working with developers.

·         Continue to work with the Rotherham Bus Partnership, including local bus operators and SYPTE, to improve Rotherham’s bus offer, to encourage the use of public transport.

·         Consideration will be given to the creation of additional short stay spaces. The service will identify the best locations for “priority customers”, such as those with disabilities, and investigate revisions to existing on-street parking restrictions.

·         The results of parking ‘beat’ surveys will be used to indicate where spaces are under-utilised and if they could be reallocated.

·         Annually review parking tariffs to ensure that they remain competitive.

·         Explore the possibility of the introducing / enhancing the existing Park & Ride provision in relation to the Tram Train pilot.

·         Continue the provision of EV charging points.

·         Consider the needs of disabled users in all public owned car parks and ensure that key destinations have appropriate levels of disabled parking availability either on or off street.

·         Ensure that off-street parking facilities are clean, tidy and user friendly

·         A programme of works will be delivered to achieve a high standard of cosmetic finishes to the off-street parking stock. This will be the subject of a regular maintenance schedule thereafter to sustain the high standards.

·         A programme of “pay and display” machine replacement will be developed and funding sought to achieve a full stock of machines with debit/credit card payment facilities including contactless card payment options.

Members welcomed the report and discussed broader issues relating to the provision of car parking and associated services in Rotherham Town Centre. Reference was made to the need to improve the quality of ticketing machinery and accessibility to pay parking charges by phone or app. Likewise, Members shared their experiences, and those of constituents using town centre car parks, in the Wellgate Car Park, where the barrier had frequently been out of use and the payment machines had also been out of order regularly, It was recommended that alternative equipment being investigated to improve the service offer in such locations.

·

Resolved:-

1.    That Cabinet be advised that the recommendation be supported.

2.    That the Council take a proactive approach to tackle the dangers of poor lighting at its car parks, as part of a planned approach, given the usage by the public in the early morning/evening during dark hours in the autumn and winter.

3.    That the connectivity within the diagram under ‘Strategic Principles’ on page 9 of the strategy be made clear.

4.    That the Cabinet, as part of its work to develop car parking, improve the reliability of access/egress equipment at car parks and also seeks to develop, as funding becomes available, the use of mobile applications for customers to pay parking charges in the town centre

5.    That the Cabinet gives consideration to the creation of further disabled parking spaces strategically within Rotherham Town Centre.