Agenda item

The Committee:

(1)          Agreed in principle the changes to car park fees and charges identified by the cross party Parking Working Group set out in Annexe 1 to the report;

(2)          Agreed in principle the changes to business and residential permit fees as identified by the cross Parking Working Group set out in Annexe 2 to the report;

(3)          Agreed in principle the fees set out in Annexe 3 to the report;

(4)          Agreed to waive  car parking charges for the following events or periods on an annual basis until further notice:

a)            In all car parks in Epsom Town Centre on Christmas Day and the three Sundays immediately preceding it;

b)            In Dorset House and Ewell High Street car parks from 4pm on the day of Ewell Yule until 7am the following morning;

c)            In Dorset House and Ewell High Street car parks from 6.30pm in the evening prior to the Ewell Village Summer Fair until 6.30pm on the day of the fair.

A report was presented to the Committee that sought agreement to off street parking fees and charges for 2018/19, considered by a cross party Working Group.  The report also sought to regularise the practice of offering free parking in Epsom Town Centre car parks on the three Sundays in the lead up to Christmas and on Christmas Day and for two specific annual events held in Ewell Village.

In regard to parking fees and charges, the proposals discussed at the Working Group and put forward for consideration by this Committee were as follows:

a)            to realign the maximum evening charge in all Epsom car parks to £2.50.  This would also ensure that the maximum charge on a Sunday evening in the Ashley Centre, Depot Road and Upper High Street car parks were harmonised with the charge on a Monday to Saturday;

b)            to amend five other car park tariffs by an additional 10 pence (Annexe 1 to the report referred);

c)            to increase car park permit charges (Annexe 2 to the report referred);

d)            for the charges for Parker Cards, lost parking tokens to remain unchanged.  A release fee from Hook Road Car Park to be introduced to release vehicles if an Officer was available to do so.

In regard to regularising the practice of offering free parking in certain particular cases, the Working Group supported the proposal as a means of supporting traders in the Town Centre and Ewell Village and also resident’s dislodged by the road closures in Ewell Village as a result of the particular events in question.

The report highlighted that the budget targets for car parking income in 2018/19 anticipated additional income totalling £112,896.  The current proposed charges would generate additional income of £61,746.  This was a shortfall of £51,150 against the target set by the Strategy and Resources Committee.  Additional income would need to be identified either from car parks or elsewhere within the Council’ budget to meet this shortfall to enable the Council to set a balanced budget at its meeting in February 2018.

The Committee:

(1)          Agreed in principle the changes to car park fees and charges identified by the cross party Parking Working Group set out in Annexe 1 to the report;

(2)          Agreed in principle the changes to business and residential permit fees as identified by the cross Parking Working Group set out in Annexe 2 to the report;

(3)          Agreed in principle the fees set out in Annexe 3 to the report;

(4)          Agreed to waive  car parking charges for the following events or periods on an annual basis until further notice:

e)            In all car parks in Epsom Town Centre on Christmas Day and the three Sundays immediately preceding it;

f)             In Dorset House and Ewell High Street car parks from 4pm on the day of Ewell Yule until 7am the following morning;

g)            In Dorset House and Ewell High Street car parks from 6.30pm in the evening prior to the Ewell Village Summer Fair until 6.30pm on the day of the fair.

Note: Councillor Jane Race wished her objection to any increase in parking fees and charges to be recorded.