Agenda item

Report of the Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be introduced by the Cabinet Member for Resident Services &Tackling Inequality.

To outline and seek approval for the Council's parking schemes, programmes and policy updates to be delivered in the next financial year (2024/25).

The Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Service introduced the report which set out the capital investment plan for 2024/25 for the areas covered in this report. It was noted that there may be changes to the schemes identified as priorities or funding allocations change. The draft funding arrangements and associated schemes or programmes were provided in Appendix 1.

Cabinet welcomed the report, especially the work on the policy which involved work on reducing congestion, improving road safety and encouraging sustainable travel. This was a good foundation on which to build a kerbside strategy.

In response to questions from Cllr Cawley- Harrison the following information was provided.

• Table two of the agenda papers, contained information on the Alexandra Park event day CPZ and this was the indicative budget for the borough parking plan 2024/25.

• There was a lag between CPZ reviews and the outcomes. This was because the process needed to carefully consider responses and an example was provided of the review of the Wood Green CPZ that had been responded to by thousands of residents with differing views. When the staff received the data, they went through it as a quantitative and qualitative exercise. This also meant that officers had to go visit some of the areas to understand the issues referred to in the consultation responses.

• In relation to pavement parking, in the policy that was issued last spring, all 102 roads that had pavement parking on it had been taken into account and they were RAG (red, amber and green) rated. The green ones were completed easily, the amber rated ones would have technical issues and the red rated ones may not be progressed. The red and amber rated roads were risky, because if cars were put back onto the pavement, especially where there was a double decker bus route, then assumptions had to be made and work had to be done with TfL. There had been some forward progress as some pavement parking had been removed. However, some of the progress was taking more time.

RESOLVED

1.         To agree the Parking Investment Plan for 2024/25 as set out in Appendix

1.

2.         Subject to key decisions being determined by Cabinet, to authorise the Head of Highways and Parking to make decisions relating to scheme design and implementation in respect of the parking schemes set out in the Parking Investment Plan; and

-To carry out consultations in accordance with the Parking Investment Plan Consultation attached as Appendix 2 to this report; and

-To make traffic management orders and where there were objections

received during the statutory consultations, consider those objections and whether to cause a public inquiry to be held, and consult with the Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequality and Resident Service prior to determining whether the traffic management orders shall be made.

Reasons for decisions

This report seeks approval for the 2024/25 Parking Investment Plan which sets out the priorities and funding levels for the coming year. The Council has a statutory obligation to manage its road network, and parking plays a key role in congestion reduction and improving road safety. It can also encourage healthier travel options, while making best use of limited kerb space.

Alternative options considered.

A ‘do-nothing’ option was considered and rejected as this would not allow the Council to deliver changes to parking controls necessary to meet Council policies, address resident and business concerns and requests. It would also not allow schemes approved in the 2023/24 Parking Investment Plan to be progressed to delivery in 2024/25.