Agenda item

The report by the Director of Transport, Environment & Business Support is to consider the responses to the public consultation on the proposals under TROs 58/2015 and 59/2015 relating to the reduction and amendment of 3 parking zones.  When objections are received to proposed Traffic Regulation Orders, it is a statutory requirement to consider them at a formal decision meeting. 

RECOMMENDED:

(1)             That GA Fratton remains in place, but that the 2-hour free period for non-residents is reduced to 1 hour.

(2)             That FD Bevis Road remains in place, but that the 2-hour free period for non-residents is reduced to 1 hour.

(3)             That FG Stamshaw South remains in place, but that the 2-hour free period for non-residents is reduced to 1 hour.

(1)             That GA Fratton remains in place unchanged.

(2)             That FD Bevis Road remains in place unchanged.

(3)             That FG Stamshaw South remains in place unchanged.

After Alan Cufley, the Director of Transport, Environment & Business Support had introduced his report, deputations were made whose points are summarised:

i)    Ms L Davies - wishing to retain FD & FG zones as a shift worker she found it difficult to park at night without the residents parking restrictions, with personal safety concerns.

ii)  Mr Craig - wishing to retain GA zone as it is.  The G1 zone did not make sense.  The GA zone worked well by the station, and he agreed to the introduction of fees for the first permit and the limiting of large commercial vehicles.

iii) Ms K Ackerman - spoke of the work of the Fratton Steering Group to get the Fratton parking zone due to football parking and commercial vans in the area and so wanted this to be retained.  There were also problems caused by HMOs in the area, the loss of parking with the new Tesco store and the need for enforcing the use of the permits.

iv) Mr M Philpott - spoke regarding the FD zone which he wished to be retained but felt the 2 hour restriction would not be workable for the residents.

v)  Mr D Kinnaird - spoke for the retention of FD which had made Bevis Road an attractive place to have a property, and he was concerned that the proposed 2 hour restriction would not help those working 9am - 5pm.

vi) Ms K Newton - spoke as a resident of Angerstein Road, both she and her partner welcomed the RPZ and would like to keep the 2 hour restriction which worked well.

(Mr Duncliffe and Mr Fazackarley had registered to speak but were not present)

Councillor Gerald Vernon-Jackson then spoke (as Councillors Dave Ashmore and David Fuller had been given legal advice that as they lived in the Fratton RPZ area they were not able to participate) He wished to know what consultation had taken place in the two areas regarding reducing the 2 hour to a 1 hour restriction? He wanted the RPZs to be retained and was surprised that there had been consideration of their removal. 

Councillor Ellcome responded that the residents had initially been consulted regarding the £30 for their first parking permit and when the majority of people responded that they did not want their zone there had been consultation via the Traffic Regulation Order at which time there was support for retaining the zone.

Councillor Julie Swan, ward councillor for Fratton, then spoke and outlined her concerns as outlined in her letter to Cllr Ellcome which had been summarised within the report but she wished to read in full which covered her objections to the reduction of the GA parking zone.  She was worried that the commuter parking would only be prevented in a small area and there would be displacement to other roads.  The cost of enforcement should be met by the permit charges.  By lifting the restrictions after 1pm there would be increased problems with match-day parking.  She asked Cllr Ellcome to give consideration to 10am-4pm free parking so the Fratton Road shops would benefit from visitors and teaching assistants would be able to park for free.

In response to some of the points raised in the deputations Councillor Ellcome asked officers to explain the rationale behind the 1 or 2 hour restrictions; it was reported that this was to help prevent long term visiting vehicles such as commuters or those using the port, and would minimise displacement in the evenings.  He was concerned that the Traffic Regulation Order had not been clear as it had not proposed to reduce the free parking period and it would be harder for the more vulnerable to have visitors so he did not wish to reduce the 2 hour free period to 1 hour.  It was not known what profit was being made in the GA zone.

Alan Cufley as the Director of Transport, Environment & Business Support, responded that a 1 hour free parking period would be the most efficient timing for enforcement purposes and whilst the scheme currently operates a 2 hour free parking period, some of those responding had suggested that this be reduced to 1 hour (one response requested reduction to a 15 minute period). 

Councillor Ellcome asked the transport officers what the response to the TRO had been for a 24 hour zone? It was reported that the majority had wanted to keep to 24 hours (140 out of 178 responses).

Councillor Lynne Stagg as an opposition spokesperson then spoke; she was not personally in favour of charging for the first permit but for the 2^nd and 3^rd, and asked if some of the permit fee would be used for enforcement of the zones?  Councillor Ellcome reported that he had previously authorised the recruitment of more enforcement officers.  Councillor Stagg also queried the likely displacement parking.

With regard to Councillor Swan's suggestion that teaching assistants be exempted for permits (in the same way as for teachers) Alan Cufley as Director of Transport, Environment & Business Support, reported that if this was to be considered it should be on a city-wide basis.  It was noted that there were other support staff in the schools.

Councillor Ellcome thanked everyone who had spoken for expressing their views and he had also read the 7 written representations and taken these into account. He wished to support the current 24 hour systems, with the 2 hour free periods remaining and not reducing these to 1 hour.  Should there later be general support for a reduction to 1 hour he would look at this again.

DECISION:

(1)             That GA Fratton remains in place unchanged.

(2)             That FD Bevis Road remains in place unchanged.

(3)             That FG Stamshaw South remains in place unchanged.