Agenda item - Parking Fees and Charges 2017/18

This report seeks the agreement of the Committee in respect to off street parking fees and charges for 2017/18 and the introduction of new proposals to be considered within car parks in the forthcoming year, having regard to the recommendations of the Parking Working Group, and responses to the Epsom Retailers Consultation on Car Parking.

The Committee:

(1) Noted the Epsom Retailer Consultation analysis and that as a result of the consultation, the Parking Working had recommended that:

a) The 1 hour minimum stay rate for the Ashley Centre Car Park be reinstated;

b) Officer contact the retailers who were interested in permit parking within Hook Road car park;

c) Officers should discuss the possibility of validator or discounted parking options with the retailers who indicated that they might be interested in subsidising parking at one of the Council car parks for visitors to their retail premises at no cost to the Council;

d) Officers be instructed to investigate opportunities for paid advertising in Council car parks with local retailers expressing an interest in the consultation to generate additional income for the Council;

(2) Agreed in principle the changes to car park fees identified in Annexe 1;

(3) Agreed in principle the changes to business and residential permit fees in Annexe 2

(4) Agreed in principle the changes to parker card fees and lost tokens in Annexe 3

(5) Agreed in principle the changes to car park fees identified in Annexe 4 including:

a) the introduction of a 40p overnight rate in Ewell High Street, Dorset house and Bourne Hall car parks;

b) the introduction of a 30p 30-minute tariff in Ewell High Street and Dorset House;

c) the change in discounted parking for users of the Rainbow Centre who use Hook Road Car Park to a flat rate of £1 for up to 3 hours;

(6) Subject to planning permission being granted for Ewell Grove School:

a) Approved the harmonisation of charging times in Ewell village car park to allow parents to drop off their children without charge before 09:00 from a date to be determined by the Head of Customer Services and Business Support;

b) Authorised the Head of Customer Service and Business Support to continue discussions with Surrey County Council and Ewell Grove School regarding permits for staff working at Ewell Grove School and to issue such permits for Ewell car parks on such terms as she considered appropriate up to a maximum of 12 permits;

(7) Authorised the Head of Customer Services and Business Support to give such notice(s) and/or make such order as is considered necessary in order to give effect to the above recommendations.

A report was presented to the Committee which sort agreement to off street parking fees and charges for 2017/18 and the introduction of proposals recommended by the Parking Working Group during the forthcoming year.

The report highlighted that the strategy of the Parking Working Group had been to propose fees and promote Hook Road as a long term stay car park, Upper High Street and Depot Road as long to medium term stay car parks, the Ashley Centre as a medium to short term stay car park and the Town Hall and Hope Lodge car parks as short term stay. The Parking Working Group had recommended changes to 24 of the 103 car park tariffs currently charged which meant that an increase to 23% of the car park tariffs was being proposed for 2017/18.

It was stressed that the Council was not relying solely on increasing parking revenue to plug the gap in its revenue budget and some of the revenue generated from car parks was channelled back into maintaining and improving them. Fees and charges across all services were being increased and the Council was looking at a number of other measures to address the overall funding shortfall. In fact, the proposed charges would generate additional income of £95,350 (net of VAT) which was a shortfall of £13,950. It was further highlighted that the forthcoming highways improvements to South Street could adversely affect car parking income, particularly in the Ashley Centre. It was not accepted that the small decline in visitor numbers to the Ashley Centre in particular were solely and directly attributable to increases in parking charges.

Having noted that fees and charges should also include a reference to parking dispensation permits, the price of which would remain unchanged in the 21071/8 financial year, the Committee:

(1) Noted the Epsom Retailer Consultation analysis and that as a result of the consultation, the Parking Working had recommended that:

a) The 1 hour minimum stay rate for the Ashley Centre Car Park be reinstated;

b) Officers contact the retailers who were interested in permit parking within Hook Road car park;