Agenda item

Purpose of Report

To provide an update on the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation for the introduction of designated car club parking bays within four wards in Portsmouth; Central Southsea, Eastney and Craneswater, St Jude and St Thomas.

To seek approval for the proposed car club bay locations to be taken introduced in the first phase of the Portsmouth Car Club Scheme, following the TRO.

Recommendations

It is recommended that the Cabinet Member for Transport:

1.    Provides formal consent for a Traffic Regulation Order to be made to introduce car club parking bays in the following locations: 

a.    Talbot Road, east side, adjacent to No 92 Manners Rd (in place of a permit holder parking place);

b.    Devonshire Square (southern section), north side, outside the Co-op store (in place of a permit-holder parking space);

c.    Festing Road, east side, outside No 7 (in place of a permit holder parking space);

d.    Craneswater Park, south side, opposite No 34, (in place of a permit-holder parking place);

e.    Clarence Road, east side opposite "High Mead";

f.     Victoria Road South, east side, outside No 79a (in place of a permit-holder parking place);

g.    Kings Road, north side, from a point 12 metres west of its junction with South Street westwards for 5.5 metres (in place of a permit holder/Pay & Display parking space);

h.    Cottage Grove, north side, opposite No 50 Green Road (in place of a time limited/permit holder parking space);

2.    Defers a decision on the proposed Car Club parking bays in Francis Avenue, Kimberley Road, Kent Road and High Street; 

3.    Notes that an information report will be brought back to the Cabinet Member for Transport after six months of operation to update on scheme progress.

Kirsty Routledge, Principal Transport Planner presented her report and advised the purpose of the report was to provide an update on the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) consultation for the introduction of designated car club parking bays within four wards in Portsmouth; Central Southsea, Eastney & Craneswater, St Jude and St Thomas.  Also, to seek approval for the proposed car club bay locations to be introduced in the first phase of the Portsmouth Car Club scheme following the TRO consultation.

Deputations

Clare Seek made a deputation in favour of this item.  Deputations are not minuted but can be viewed here:

Agenda for Cabinet Member for Transport on Friday, 7th July, 2023, 10.00 am Portsmouth City Council

Members' Questions

In response to Members' questions, officers clarified:

·         Another meeting would be needed to approve the additional deferred parking bays named in the report, if they are taken forwards in the future, or any new parking bays.

·         The two cars in the scheme that is running at Wimbledon Park sports centre are parked off road.

·         In addition to the £6.70 per hour hire charge, there is a nominal feed per mile driven.  A fuel card is provided in the vehicle and members will be responsible for ensuring there is a minimum amount of fuel in the vehicle for the subsequent hirer. 

·         The first 8 vehicles will be Euro 6 petrol cars with the 2 at Lakeside proposed to be battery electric vehicles.  This is purely down to the current charging infrastructure in the city and it is hoped that all car club vehicles will become battery electric vehicles in the future. 

·         The 6-month report will include utilisation data from Enterprise and we will also request high level data about where the users of each vehicle are located to ascertain the distance to use a vehicle.  An organisation called CoMo also runs an annual survey on combined and collective transport. 

Members' Comments

Members were very supportive of the scheme overall and considered that it may help ease parking problems in the city over time.  They were pleased that a report would be bought back for consideration after 6 months of operation.

Members considered using the reduction in emissions solely as a basis for approval of the car club scheme was not viable, considering that the vehicles being proposed initially, would be petrol and not electric.

Members also highlighted that for many residents, taxis are a viable alternative to owning a car particularly when visiting the supermarket for example as they are a door-to-door service.

The Chair observed that the number of privately owned vehicles in the city keeps rising so this may provide a solution and alternative for residents.  On the basis of a report being bought back in 6 months, the Chair approved the recommendations in the report.

 Decision

1.    The Cabinet Member agreed formal consent for a Traffic Regulation Order to be made to introduce car club parking bays in the following locations:

·         Talbot Road, east side, adjacent to No 92 Manners Road (in place of a permit holder parking place);

·         Devonshire Square (southern section), north side, outside the Co-op store (in place of a permit holder parking space);

·         Festing Road, east side, outside No 7 (in place of a permit holder parking space);

·         Craneswater Park, south side, opposite No 34, (in place of a permit holder parking space);

·         Clarence Road, east side, opposite "High Mead";

·         Victoria Road South, east side, outside No 79a (in place of a permit holder parking space);

·         Kings Road, north side, from a point 12 metres west of its junction with South Stree westwards for 5.5 metres (in place of a permit holder/Pay & Display parking space);

·         Cottage Grove, north side, opposite No 50 Green Road (in place of a time limited/permit holder parking space).

2.    Deferred a decision on the proposed Car Club parking bays in Francis Avenue, Kimberley Road, Kent Road and High street.

3.    Noted that an information report will be brought back to the Cabinet Member for Transport after six months of operation to update on scheme progress.