Poole Housing Partnership Parking Enforcement

Poole Housing Partnership Parking Enforcement

AGENDA ITEM 7

BOROUGH OF POOLE

TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY GROUP

22 SEPTEMBER 2011

REPORT OF HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

POOLE HOUSING PARTNERSHIP PARKING ENFORCEMENT

PART OF THE PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN:

STATUS: (Service Delivery Information)

1.PURPOSE AND POLICY CONTEXT

1.1To consider Transportation Services taking over parking enforcement within car park areas owned by Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) in the Town Centre and Sterte.

1.2To update members on a proposed Service Level Agreements between Borough of Poole parking services and PHP.

2.DECISION REQUIRED

That the Portfolio Holder approves:

2.1Transportation Services undertaking parking enforcement on behalf of PHP within the Town Centre and Sterte, in areas shown in Appendix A

2.2The advertisement of the associated Traffic Regulation Orders for these areas, with any objections being brought back to a future meeting of this Group.

3.BACKGROUND

3.1 The Poole Housing Partnership (PHP) is an Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) of Poole Council responsible for the management and maintenance of council housing.

3.2 Over the past few years problems have been experienced in PHP parking areas, commonly with residents finding their allocated parking places occupied by non-residents. This causes major inconvenience to tenants, visitors and for elderly / ill tenants denied parking for their carers. PHP had previously employed private sector enforcement companies to undertake parking enforcement but this has proven to be not effective either for PHP or indeed viable for private companies themselves. The problem is particularly acute in the town centre where tenants, visitors and carers often find themselves displaced onto busy on street parking locations or public car parks, with the ultimate risk of incurring a Penalty Charge Notice (PCNs) for failing to park correctly.

3.3In September 2010, a PHP parking steering group was formed to consider the scope of future PHP parking enforcement and to discuss options available to them. Following this meeting an approach was made to Transportation Services to assess the feasibility of the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers (CEOs) enforcing parking restrictions and the back office staff administering a new tenants permit system. A preliminary outline business model proved this was feasible.

3.5PHP subsequently undertook a consultation exercise with their tenants which showed the majority were in favour of these proposals. This was subsequently approved in principle by PHP management board and that the project proceeds to the next stage. The associated PHP parking restriction policy, including permit eligibility criteria, is shown as Appendix B.

3.6 While the original intention was that this scheme should commence during 2011 this has had to slip due to the time taken for the consultation and also the pressures due to other priority projects such as the camera enforcement safety car. Subject to approval the revised programme is as follows:

  • Approval to advertise TROs – 22 September 2011 TAG
  • Advertise October / November 2011
  • Consideration of responses to TROs – 19 January 2012 TAG
  • Making of the off street parking place order – February 2012
  • Manufacture and installation of signs, marking of lines, production and administration of permits, etc – February / March 2012
  • Commencement of enforcement 1 April 2012.

If there are no objections to the advertised TROs then it may be possible to bring the implementation programme- forward, as PHP are keen to implement this scheme as soon as is practical.

3.7It is proposed that any responses generated as a result of the advertisement will be dealt with by PHP in the first instance as they are likely to have detailed knowledge of the parking requirements. It is anticipated that PHP recommendation will be an important part of the process of this Group ultimately considering the TROs.

3.8The proposals described in this report are for the first phase of PHP parking areas, as shown in Appendix A.

These include :

  • Drake Court
  • East Quay Road
  • Perry Gardens
  • Rodney Court
  • East Street
  • East Street / South Road
  • Lagland Street
  • Lagland Street / South Road
  • Malthouse
  • Guildhall Court
  • Sterte Court

Future phases, including that for sheltered housing, will be developed during 2012. Details will be brought to a future meeting of this Group.

4.FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

4.1PHP Management Board have approved that all of the set up costs for the enforcement scheme and future maintenance costs will be met by PHP. These include costs for signs and lines, consultation, the off street parking place order and associated operational costs. This will therefore operate at no cost to the Borough of Poole.

4.2PHP will be charging their tenants who require parking £20per annum for a permit, of which £10 will be received by Transportation Services to cover the production, processing and issuing of permits, with £10 retained by PHP for maintenance costs. Tenants can also purchase visitor scratchcard books, at a cost of 1 book (containing 5 daily scratchcards) for £7.50.

All PCN fine income will go to Transportation Services

5.LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

5.1The off street parking place order must be advertised in a local newspaper and a statutory 28 day notice in all the PHP parking areas is required to notify residents, visitors and stakeholders of the proposed new parking restrictions.

6.RISK MANAGEMENT

6.1The council’s parking services has several years experience enforcing parking places owned by other public or private organisations. These include arrangements with the following groups:

a) Sainsbury’s Pitwines car park

b) Holiday Inn Express – Seldown

c) Poole Town Centre Eco Home Village

d) Merck House – Lighthouse multi storey car park

e) Leisure Services - Poole Park

6.2The income received from PHP and from PCN fines will be included in the Transportation services Medium Term Financial Plan. Failure to achieve financial targets would create budget pressure within Transportation, potentially requiring reduction in other areas of service.

7.EQUALITIES IMPLICATION

7.1An Equalities Impact Assessment (EQ1A) of parking policies was undertaken in January 2009 and updated in January 2011.

Julian McLaughlin

Head of Transportation Services

Name and Telephone No. of Officer Contact – Jason Benjamin (01202 262150)

Appendix A-Maps of PHP parking areas to be enforced under BOP Off

Street Parking Place order

Appendix B - PHP parking application rules

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