Decision details

The Interim Chief Executive submitted an exempt report to provide an update on work which has taken place since the last report to the March 2017 Executive, together with providing options for members to consider on the next stage of this piece of work.

Resolved

(1)          That the contents of the report be noted.

(2)          That the contents of the Stage 3 report be noted.

(3)          That proceeding on the basis of the Phase 1 Works programme detailed in the Stage 3 report be approved.

(4)          That Full Council be recommended to approve the creation of a revenue and capital budget necessary to carry out the Phase 1 works.

(5)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve an appropriate model for the on-going maintenance arrangements associated with the Phase 1 Works.

(6)          That delegated authority be granted to the Director for Operational Delivery to approve appropriate eligibility criteria and administrative process for the “Drive Application Fund Grant”.

Reasons

The parking issue’s at Woodpiece Road, Arncott have been ongoing for a number of years and has been a consistent theme with the Parish Council. It stems from the design of the estate and the increase in car usage per household, reflecting national trends. It is now at a stage where the on-street parking is causing significant disruption with access through the road by anything larger than a normal size vehicle. i.e. delivery vehicles or emergency vehicles.

Some private households have converted their front gardens into driveways, which has helped ease the issue, however many of those households have 2 or 3 cars and therefore do utilise parking on the pavements as well as their own drive.

The District Council has retained several pieces of land which are currently grassed areas but could be converted into parking bays, providing a net increase in parking spaces available to residents.

Council officers have worked with planners, highways, Sanctuary Housing, the Parish Council and local residents to develop options which point to the pieces of land which are most viable for converting into parking spaces and at the same time are supported by all the stakeholders named above.

The 3^rd Stage Appraisal report highlights these site options and provides indicative costs to carry out the necessary works. It also breaks the works into two possible phases, the first being, to carry out works to Sites 3, 4 and 5, as these are deemed to be the most straight forward and widely supported sites for conversion. In order to arrive at a final cost estimate for the Phase 1 Works, there will need to be a tender exercise carried out, and thus although the works are likely to cost circa £35-40,000. Full Council would need to receive a recommendation to make that budget available.

Further discussions between the District Council and the Parish Council will need to take place over the on-going maintenance of the converted parking areas, should members agree to the recommendations. Due to the further work required on this, it is recommended that delegated authority be given to the Director of Operational -Delivery to approve a suitable solution to the on-going maintenance of the sites.

As part of the Phase 1 Works, a grant option for residents has also been recommended, which would allow residents to apply for a fixed grant amount from the Council in order to cover the cost of the application to the County Council for permission to drop the highways curb which would be approximately £100 per application. Should members be minded to approve, it is recommended that the eligibility criteria and administration process of this grant be delegated to the Director of Operational Delivery to approve.

Alternative options

Option 1: Do not carry out any of the recommendations made

This will result in the parking issue at Woodpiece Road becoming an increasingly serious one, with reputational risk to the District Council

Option 2: Proceed with some of the recommendations made

Although it would be possible to carry forward some of the recommendations, being able to proceed on a comprehensive basis via the approval of all recommendations, would allow for greater efficiencies to be made both in terms of time and cost to the Council.