Agenda item

The Council desires to change driver behaviour as part of its Corporate aim for a low-carbon, clean, green and prosperous district that attracts high quality employment opportunities and encourages healthy lifestyle.

The council’s aim to promote and enhance the use of Taunton Park and Ride facilities provided by Somerset County Council to support its own aims in reducing town centre congestion for Taunton and pollution and supporting overall Air Quality Management across the Council area as set out in the Air Quality Action Plan. The latest Air Quality Action Reports (2018) are available on the SWTC web site at:

Charges were last increased across the former Taunton Deane Borough Council area in 2016. Notwithstanding that there was a realignment of fees in Taunton to move to a more readily understood Short and Long Stay parking as part of the Pay on Foot parking project. However, these changes were cost neutral, as outlined and approved by Taunton Deane Full Council in February 2018.

Charges were last increased in the former West Somerset Council area in 2017.

The report outlines the intention to raise car parking fees by 10% in all areas, the legal basis for doing so and the intentions of monies raised through this.

The powers for local authorities to provide and charge for car parking are set out in the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA). Different provisions are set out in relation to on-street and off-street parking. This report relates to off street parking arrangements.

Section 122 places a duty on every local authority to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians) and the provision of suitable and adequate parking facilities on and off the highway. In particular that means securing and maintaining reasonable access to premises; the effect on the amenities of any locality affected and (without prejudice to the generality of this paragraph) the importance of regulating and restricting the use of roads by heavy commercial vehicles, so as to preserve or improve the amenities of the areas through which the roads run; the strategy prepared under section 80 of the Environment Act 1995 (national air quality strategy); the importance of facilitating the passage of public service vehicles and of securing the safety and convenience of persons using or desiring to use such vehicles; and any other matters appearing to the local authority to be relevant.

Decisions on setting fees must be reasonable and proportionate and have a view to the reasons for the parking powers in the first place (i.e. the minimising of congestion in town centres).  The Council is awarded powers to create off-street parking places – and then to charge for them – where it appears necessary to them for the purposes of relieving or preventing traffic congestion.   

A schedule of proposed fees was included at Appendix A.

            Debate

·      Concerns were expressed over the alignment of car parking charges across the district since the creation of the new authority.

·      Impacts of an increase on the businesses across the district were considered. There were fears that increases of car parking charges combined with business rates would impact on the economy, especially with local businesses.

·      Encouraging reduction in carbon emissions alongside increasing additional revenue were the primary aims of the increase.

·      It was considered if businesses could be consulted in future with car parking increase proposals

·      Further concerns were expressed in relation to this impacting on the amount of revenue generated through parking charges.

The Scrutiny Committee supported:-

The recommendation to raise car parking charges by 10% across the Somerset West and Taunton Council area.