Agenda item

A report by the Director of Regeneration provides an update on the current Residents' Parking Programme of Consultation and, as requested by the Cabinet Member on behalf of the new Council administration, to provide a revised Programme of Consultations to take place in areas where residents have requested a residents' parking zone (RPZ).

RECOMMENDED that:

(1)  the progress on the previously approved Residents' Parking Programme is noted (Sept 2015 - June 2018);

(2)  the revised Programme of Consultations with local residents, as set out in  this report, is confirmed and consultation on each area listed is progressed.

DECISIONS:

(1)                  the progress on the previously approved Residents' Parking Programme was noted (September 2015 - June 2018);

(2)                  the revised Programme of Consultations with local residents, as set out in the report, was confirmed and consultation on each area listed be progressed.

Pam Turton, Assistant Director of Regeneration (Transport) presented the report and drew attention to the correction sheet (which gave clarification to the figures on surveys on MC Bramble Road). She stressed that the previous report had been withdrawn at the meeting of 12^th July and was not being further considered.  She therefore presented the fresh report which reflected the new Administration's priorities and was not to set new zones at this meeting but to go out to consultation with residents.  Section 4 of the report detailed the consultation process, and the 2-stages of consultation before a response be brought back for decision to the Traffic & Transportation portfolio.

Deputations are not minuted in full as these are recorded as part of the web-cast of this meeting which can be viewed here:

https://livestream.com/accounts/14063785/Cabinet-TT-31Jul2018

Deputations were made by the following members of the public, who were allowed up to 6 minutes each:

1.    Mr Terry Barfoot (regarding the displacement effect of the RPZs near Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham)

2.    Written deputation of Mr Jerry Brown read out by Cllr Luke Stubbs (asking for resurveying for the MB/MC area and in areas of displacement parking)

3.    Mr Terry Norton (speaking for Baffins residents concerned about tensions caused by RPZs and the need to look for alternative solutions)

4.    Mr Nicholson (spoke regarding the effect of displacement parking on Lorne Road and of long term tourist parking wanting the reinstatement of residents' parking)

5.    Mr J Massiah (requesting the reinstatement of MB/MC zone due to the benefits previously experienced)

6.    Mr Charles Burns (advocating 2 or 3 larger zones for Southsea)

Deputations were also made by the following councillors:

1. Suzy Horton (Central Southsea ward, regarding the support for MB/MC in an area of high student numbers)

2. Dave Ashmore (Fratton ward, for strategically placed RPZs with alternatives to be pursued too to aid parking problems)

3. Luke Stubbs (Eastney & Craneswater ward explaining why MB/MC had caused problems for adjoining areas whilst leaving spaces in the zone itself, so a much wider area needed to be considered for Southsea)

4.Matthew Winnington (Eastney & Craneswater ward for the MF zone with seafront parking being displaced in the area, advocating a rolling programme with surveys)

5.Robert New (Copnor ward regarding the need for proper consultation and the work of the Traffic, Environment and Community Safety (TECS) Scrutiny Panel on a parking review)

6. Steve Pitt (Central Southsea ward advocating the reinstatement of MB/MC for residents with adjacent areas to be surveyed to see if there were displacement problems)

7. Hugh Mason (St. Jude ward regarding problems causedby night-time economy visitors to the entertainment areas and the need to tackle this, such as use of the Waitrose carpark and an extended Park and Ride arrangement) 

8. Donna Jones (Hilsea ward against a piecemeal approach of RPZs and the need to look at a city-wide approach).

Written deputations had also been received and read by the Cabinet Member and circulated to the spokespersons.

In response to some of the issues raised in the deputations Pam Turton responded that any amendments to the priority of RPZ requests would need to come back to the Traffic & Transportation portfolio.  Alternatives were being investigated, with an on-going review of double yellow lines, and work with the TECS Scrutiny Panel to identify other areas to explore (including looking at overnight van parking, use of school premises overnight etc).   Section 4.9 of the report set out the areas that had not yet been included in the programme for surveying but where there had been requests, due to resourcing implications these needed to be dealt with sequentially, although through the TECS Scrutiny Panel a survey had taken place on parking city-wide.  In response to Councillor Dowling's question Pam Turton confirmed that if MF zone was implement then the neighbouring area could be subject to consultation if residents wanted.  A report would have to be brought back to the Cabinet Member for Traffic & Transportation to review and revise the Consultation Programme.

The Opposition Spokespersons then gave their views. Councillor Bosher queried the motivation of changing of the MF zone from the previous report and queried the timescale for implementation of RPZs when only 3 or 4 pa had been implemented previously, believing that MB/MC would set back others on the list.  He did not favour a piecemeal process which caused problems for adjacent roads and felt that the results of the TECS Scrutiny Panel findings should be considered first.

Councillor Chowdhury supported going to formal surveys to ensure the right decisions for residents.

Councillor Dowling thanked all present and those who had submitted the 29 written deputations, which had been circulated and read by him and the 2 spokespersons, these raised other issues too such as doctors/key workers parking which would need further consideration.

Councillor Dowling reiterated the report was advocating consultation of residents on parking zones and did not preclude other options being explored, and he therefore supported the recommendations.

DECISIONS:

(1)                  the progress on the previously approved Residents' Parking Programme was noted (September 2015 - June 2018);

(2)                  the revised Programme of Consultations with local residents, as set out in the report, was confirmed and consultation on each area listed be progressed.