Agenda item

Report ES13044

The introduction of charges at Plaistow Car Park in 2011 had resulted in a migration of commuter parking from Plaistow Car Park to on-street locations in the immediate vicinity. Congestion and parking difficulties had resulted for local residents and income from car park charges only just met the cost of cash-collection.

Residents favoured a return to free parking at the car park rather than introduce new parking restrictions. A reduction in daily charge to £1 met with only limited success in encouraging commuters back to the car park.

By charging at the car park a cost of £4.3k p.a. is incurred (to cover enforcement, cash collections, ticket supply, machine maintenance, surface maintenance, minor works, signs and lines). There would be no additional costs if the car park was returned to free use other than a one-off sum of about £500 for removing the Pay and Display machine and associated signs.

Income from charges currently exceeded the cash collection fee by about £300 p.a., taking account of mobile phone payments. With NNDR costs also having to be met, the facility incurred a loss of about £6k p.a., along with the opportunity cost of not using the land for other purposes.

Although the NNDR costs of about £6.7k p.a would remain on return to free parking, it was proposed to remove the car park charge with immediate effect taking into consideration:

• the views of residents;
• the increase in street parking caused by charging; and
• the marginal income generated from charging.

The Chairman preferred to see the recommendation at 2.1 of Report ES13044 shortened to read “that Plaistow Lane Car Park should revert to being a free car park”.

The Vice-Chairman noted that there was already free parking at the car park for the first two hours. Prior to charging for the car park, Members were advised that it was well used with no blocking of parking spaces in nearby roads. When charges were introduced, commuters parked in nearby roads. The NNDR costs were highlighted as were the management costs and substantial parking in nearby roads; commuters had been attracted to nearby streets offering free parking.

Councillor Nicholas Bennett supported the recommendation advocating that the car park be free to use, thereby relieving local roads of parked vehicles. However, the Vice Chairman was concerned that a precedent might be set. Noting that NNDR costs were not insignificant, she indicated that waiting restrictions had previously been introduced in the vicinity of other car parks where the cost of all day parking was less than £3 per day. The Chairman highlighted that if the car park was to become free and costing almost £7k per annum in business rates, with additional street cleaning costs, it might be subject to an asset review and become surplus to requirements, the result of which might lead to it being sold. 

A vote was taken and it was agreed by a majority that the Portfolio Holder should be recommended to agree the recommendation as edited earlier by the Chairman. It was also suggested that the long term future of the car park be referred to the strategic asset review. 

RESOLVED that the Portfolio Holder be recommended to agree that the Plaistow Lane Car Park should revert to being a free car park.