Decision details

Off Street

(i)  To approve the introduction of an Evening Charge of £2 for the proposed surface car parks from 6pm to Midnight. (see Appendix 2 (a) recommended charge as originally advertised)

(ii)  To extend the maximum number of Crosshouse Hard permits available to 400 per year for staff and members of organisations represented by the Crosshouse Water Users Group. (modified proposal extending existing permit provision in response to representations received)

(iii)  To approve the reduction in the charge for an Overnight Season Ticket from £250 to £150. (see Appendix 2 (b) recommended reduction as originally advertised)

(iv)  To approve the introduction of a new Resident Season Ticket at £375 for 6 months and £750 for 12 months for the car parks proposed. (see Appendix 2 (d) recommended charge as originally advertised)

(v)  To approve the introduction of a new 7 Day Season Ticket,  available to any person, for 3 months at £300, 6 months at £600 and 12 months at £1200, for parking at any time, without charge, in the specified car parks. (see appendix 2 (g) recommended charge as originally advertised)

(vi)  To approve the withdrawal of the Pay as you Park (decrementing) Card and to withdraw the 5 Day Season Ticket. (see Appendix 2 (e) and (f) recommendations as originally advertised)

On and Off Street

(vii)  To approve the introduction an Overnight Parking Pass, to be renamed Evening Parking Pass, without charge for issue on application to registered charity and voluntary organisations, with a maximum issue for 500 evening stays, subject to application and at the discretion of the Council. (see Appendices 1 (c) and 2 c) recommendations  as originally advertised)

(viii)  To extend the eligibility for the Evening Parking Pass referred to in recommendation vii above to include other recognised societies and organisations contributing to the community, at a charge of £1 per evening stay, subject to application and at the discretion of the Council. (modification to the advertised “Overnight Parking Pass” proposal in response to representations received)

On Street

(ix)  To approve the introduction of a flat rate evening charge of £2.00 from 6pm to 8pm in on-street Pay & Displays bays. (see Appendix 1 (a) recommended charge as originally advertised).

(x)  To approve the introduction of an Evening Season Ticket for Blue, Green, Purple or Grey Code on-street Pay & Display bays for city centre residents at £100 per year. (modification to the proposal to only provide off street Residents Season Tickets, extending availability of such Season Tickets to on – street provision for a reduced charge - proposed in response to representations received).

(xi)  To approve the introduction of an Evening & Week-End Season Ticket for Blue, Green, Purple or Grey Code on-street Pay & Display bays for city centre residents at £400 per year. (modification to the proposal to only provide off street Residents Season Tickets, extending availability of such Season Tickets to on – street provision for a reduced charge - proposed in response to representations received).

(xii)  To approve excluding Sunday from the days on which Evening Charges will apply. (modified proposal in response to representations received)

(xiii)  To approve the introduction of a new day time 2 hour stay in Central Core Red Code Outer bays at a charge of £4.00. (see Appendix 1 (d) recommendation as originally advertised)

(xiv)  To approve the introduction of a new day time 2 hour stay in Central Core Red Code bays at a charge of £4.00 and other changes to charges in this area. (see Appendix 1 (e) recommendation as originally advertised)

(xv)  To approve the introduction of a new East Street Code with a day time 10mins free parking period, 30mins for £1.30  and 60mins at £2.20 in place of the current charges of £0.80 for 20mins, £1.20 for 40mins and £2.50 for 60 minutes. (see Appendix 1 (f) recommendation as originally advertised)

(xvi)  To approve the charge reductions and restriction definitions stated in paragraphs g to k at Appendix 1. (recommendation as originally advertised)

(xvii)  To defer any decision on extending the parking restriction period in the evenings Monday to Saturday from 6pm to 8pm in the Polygon (Zone 1), until the effects of the other changes can be assessed. (modified proposal in response to representations received)

(xviii)  To approve excluding Rockstone Place from the evening restriction period. (modified proposal in response to representations received)

(xix)  To approve excluding the “Deanery South” development (Carpathia Drive, Rudd Way and Clench Street) from the evening restriction period. (modified proposal in response to representations received)

(xx)  To commission officers to undertake a comparative analysis of parking levels in the city centre streets surveyed (see Appendix 6) 6-12 months after Evening Charges commences and to bring forward proposals for any modifications to City centre parking charges deemed necessary in light of such analysis. (new proposal in response to representations received)

1. Cabinet have approved the principle of introducing evening charges in the City centre to assist in prioritising parking in the City centre to ensure that the highway is adequately managed and controlled.
2. Recommendation ii would help address concerns from the organisations that membership and participation in water-based activities could be adversely affected by evening charging.
3. The reduction proposed in recommendation iii is intended to provide a low cost parking facility for people regularly parking in the City centre in the evening.
4. The proposal at recommendation iv provides a facility for residents requiring long stay parking at any time in the City centre car parks.
5. The proposal at recommendation v provides a facility for any person requiring long stay parking at any time in the specified car parks.
6. The Decrementing Card prepayment card and the 7 Day Season ticket provide an alternative option to Pay as You Park cards and 5 Day Season Tickets.
7. Recommendation vii is intended to reflect the Council’s desire to support the staff and volunteers for these organisations in their work for the community.
8. Recommendation viii would assist societies and organisations that contribute to the community, which are not registered charities or voluntary organisations meeting or with activities in City centre in the evenings.
9. Cabinet have approved the policy of a flat rate evening charge to assist in prioritising parking in the city centre and having considered the representations received the Council is satisfied this remains a fair and reasonable proposal to ensure that the highway is adequately managed and controlled.
10. Recommendation x would provide for most city centre residents an affordable alternative to paying evening charges per stay and provide non-residents regularly parking with an alternative On-Street Pay & Display evening parking option.
11.  Recommendation xi would provide a reduced cost option for residents or non-residents with regular evening and week-end parking needs in the City centre
12. Recommendation xii reflects the representations received that most retail activities within the city centre close at 5pm and therefore there is reduced demand for on-street parking after this time on a Sunday.
13. The new charge proposed at recommendation xiii is intended to allow an extended period of parking where necessary, but otherwise to encourage shorter stay parking to provide a higher turnover of predominantly customer parking.
14. The new charge at recommendation xiv is intended to allow extended a parking where necessary, but otherwise to encourage shorter stay parking to provide a higher turnover of predominantly customer parking. Other charges without change to the period of stay may be amended by notice of variation
15. The proposed 10 minute free charge is intended to allow very short parking stays (e.g. for pick-up or drop-off), whilst rebalancing with a 30min period of stay in order to meet specific turnover demand in this area of the City centre. Other charges without change to the period of stay may be amended by notice of variation where required.
16. The proposed changes in recommendation xvi would reduce costs for people parking during the day on-street in these roads and do not appear to be subject to specific objections.
17. The need for the proposal originally published and referred to in recommendation xvii is difficult to determine without experience of evening charges in operation and more informed resident views would be recommended prior to introduction if proven to be justified. There are also concerns about the impact on other neighbouring residential areas, that may require wider proposals in due course.
18. The north side of Rockstone Place where residents live who have raised objections to proposals is outside the city centre and it is therefore appropriate to clarify that these will be excluded from the City Centre evening charges.
19. Having regard to the objections to these proposals and the reality that there are no Pay & Display restrictions / public parking provision within the development, on balance it is considered therefore that the justification to include this development within the proposed charges does not exist at this time.
20. Recommendation xx would provide the Council with an opportunity to review the impact of the evening charges on on-street parking in an area of the city centre and consider amendments to proposals where considered necessary to meet further evidenced need and demand.

Not introducing these charges was rejected on the basis that the increasing demands for city centre parking needs to be managed through Council transport policy and that funding for evening provision should not be met through the day time economy only.

The Decision Maker took into account the representations from Respondents as described in the report, in addition to the two late objections and one late supporting representation and fifty five representations from Residents Associations across the whole of the City.

The Decision Maker noted that in paragraph 37 of the report, the wording of the bullet points should read: 

• An Evening Season Ticket for Blue, Green, Purple or Grey Code on-street Pay and Display bays for city centre residents at £100 per year
• An Evening and Week-End Season Ticket for Blue, Green, Purple or Grey Code on-street Pay and Display bays at £400 per year for residents.

The Decision Maker noted that in paragraph 59 of the report, the wording should read:  “... there will be an estimated shortfall of £264,000 in 2013/14 ...”