Agenda item

This report advises the Committee of any petitions received by the Council which fall within the remit of this Committee including a summary of the response sent to the petition organisers by officers.

Discussion:

The Committee received a report advising of those petitions received by the Council which fell within the remit of the Committee, including a summary of the responses sent to the petition organisers by officers.

One petition had been referred to the Committee for consideration by the lead petitioner, Councillor Stamp.

Councillor Stamp advised the Committee that in signing the petitions, a number of comments had been made by individuals who considered that the introduction of parking charges at The Strand Leisure Park had affected their decision to use the Leisure Park. This was considered to be contrary to the Council’s strategy on reducing obesity and undermined the health and well being of individuals.

Councillor Stamp advised that the Junior Park Run, which was a free weekly event at the Leisure Park on Sundays, had witnessed a decline in volunteers since the introduction of parking charges and was now under threat of closure.

Whilst it was recognised that the Council was under financial pressure and was seeking to maximise income opportunities, Councillor Stamp suggested that alternative options were available including:

·         Changing from £5.20 a day to a nominal fee of 50p or £1.

·         Introducing a specified period free of charge before charges were applied.

·         Enabling a refund system for users of the Leisure Park

·         Limiting the time when charges are applied e.g. free at weekends.

·         Shorter charging periods e.g. 10am – 6pm

Councillor Stamp referred to the review being undertaken by the Portfolio Holder for Front Line Services and expressed concern that with the review ending in February 2018 and a report planned to come to this Committee in March 2018 this would be too late for any recommendations from this Committee to be made prior to budget setting in February 2018.

He pointed out that the parking charges had not been introduced until part way through the Summer of 2017 and therefore it would be difficult to quantify the affect that the parking charges had had on usage of facilities at the Leisure Park. He expressed concern that The Strand Leisure Park was the only out of town leisure facility where parking charges were levied.

The Committee discussed the report and it was suggested as a way forward the Portfolio Holder’s review be brought forward to this Committee at its meeting on 23 January 2018, it being noted that owing to the timescales for the production of reports for that date, it may be necessary to have supplementary information circulated close to the date of the meeting for consideration by the Committee. This would enable the Committee to consider this matter with the necessary data available and prior to budget setting in February 2018.

Decision:

The Committee:

a)            noted the petition responses and appropriate officer action set out in paragraph 3 of the report.

b)            agreed that a report be submitted to the 23 January 2018 meeting of this Committee setting out the outcome of the Portfolio Holder’s review of car parking charges at The Strand Leisure Park, it being noted that this may involve supplementary information being supplied after the agenda despatch and to enable this Committee to consider this issue prior to budget setting in February 2018.