Agenda item

In terms of Standing Order 10(1), and as agreed at the beginning of the meeting (article 2 refers), the Committee received a deputation from Mr Bill Lonsdale and Mr Rizzi on behalf of Stop Taxing Our Parking in relation to the recommendations contained within the report on the Review of Parking Charges.

Mr Lonsdale made reference to his complaint in relation to Garthdee Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) provisions and the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure’s response. He also made reference to a legal agreement associated with planning application 98/0090 between the Council and Robert Gordon University (RGU), specifically the annual contributions made by the University for the implementation of the CPZ.

Mr Lonsdale requested that the Committee’s reconsider its decision to charge residents for residents parking permits in CPZ Zone Y:Garthdee and stand by undertakings given to residents when the zone was first proposed in the establishment of the CPZ, residents were given to understand that the costs would be covered by RGU. This was a mitigation measure to allow a development that otherwise should have been refused consent on residential amenity grounds and was proposed voluntarily by RGU.

Mr Lonsdale also requested that if the Committee still wished to charge, it must again instruct officers to follow the proper procedure and carry out statutory consultation, responses to which consultation must be brought back to Committee before a valid Order can be made.

In addition, Mr Lonsdale requested that the Committee should bring forward the proposals promised by the City Council, for the extension to Zone Y: Garthdee, to include all roads within the boundary of Garthdee Road, Auchinyell Road and South Anderson Drive to protect residents from the impact of ubiquitous parking by students and staff from RGU and recover all costs from RGU, who are the generators of unacceptable parking pressures in a suburban residential area. Next step at earliest opportunity should be the statutory consultation, which must include the funding provision whereby RGU will pay for residents and visitor permits in perpetuity.

Members were invited to ask questions of Mr Lonsdale and Mr Rizzi and then thanked them for their contribution.

The Committee had before it a report by the Director of Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure which responded to the Committee’s request for (1) a reappraisal of the parking charges in the city taking into consideration our Smarter City objectives; (2) a review of parking charges and entitlement set by other council services; and (3) a report on the possibility of establishing a city wide emissions-based permit system on the proviso that such a proposal would be revenue neutral.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee -

(a)       note the contents of the report and the importance of parking controls as a tool to support sustainable travel and assist in minimising traffic levels;

(b)       adopt a policy for and approve the increase in business permits to £660 to align with the annual travel costs by city wide sustainable travel options;

(c)        approve the revised on street charges within the peripheral zones to support sustainable travel objectives;

(d)       approve the alteration in charging hours within the long stay off street car parks to 8am to 8pm Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on a Sunday;

(e)       approve the revised parking charge structure for Golden Square off street car park to the onstreet charges;

(f)        instruct officers to continue to monitor on street parking cost in relation to public transport costs and adjust accordingly in order that we continue to provide and promote a sustainable transport system;

(g)       instruct officers to carry out a review of the other proposed controlled parking zones to determine whether these areas of the city require additional parking restrictions in order to facilitate the management of the transportation and road network;

(h)       approve the adoption of a policy revision to the business permit “in order to be awarded a business permit it should be shown that a vehicle would have to be used for business purposes frequently (more that three occasions) on a daily basis”;

(i)         refer this report to the Housing and Environment committee with a recommendation that proposed charges for private off street parking spaces operated by this council is adopted to support the aims of Regional Transport Strategy and objectives for a Smarter City; and

(j)         instruct officers to monitor the benefits and outcomes of the emission related parking charges in other cities and to report back in 18 months in the following terms (1) Establish the process and cost implications under which a residential permit scheme could be rolled out across the City as ‘phase 1’ of an Emissions Based Parking Control (EBPC). (2) Establish the process and cost implications for a pay & display scheme to roll out across the City as ‘phase 2’ of EBPC.

The Convener, seconded by Councillor Thomson, moved:-

that the Committee –

(1)       agrees recommendations (a) and (d) to (j) in the report;

(2)       agrees to approve a revised reduced residential parking permit charge for the next three years, reducing the cost of the first permit by £10 a year in order that by 2017 the annual cost of the first permit will be £50; and

(3)       instructs officers to consult with Aberdeen Inspired, Visit Aberdeen and the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce on parking charges within the Inner City Centre, Outer City Centre and Peripheral Zones as outlined in Appendix 3 with a view to encouraging city centre regeneration and to report back to the Committee at its meeting on 13^th March 2014 with proposals for revised parking charges.

Councillor Yuill, seconded by Councillor Cormie, moved as an amendment:-

that the Committee –

(1)          notes the contents of the report and the importance of parking controls as a tool to support sustainable travel and assist in minimising traffic levels;

(2)          agrees not to increase the current charging levels for business permits;

(3)          agrees to reduce the charge for each household’s first resident’s parking permit to £65 and to further reduce this charge to £50 in 2015/16;

(4)          agrees to make no changes to on street parking charges within the peripheral zones;

(5)          approves the alteration in charging hours within the long stay off street car parks to 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday and 1pm to 5pm on a Sunday;

(6)          approves the revised parking charge structure for Golden Square off street car park to the on street charges;

(7)          instructs officers to continue to monitor on street parking costs in relation to public transport costs;

(8)          instructs officers to carry out a review of the other proposed controlled parking zones to determine whether these areas of the city require additional parking restrictions in order to facilitate the management of the transportation and road network, noting that the introduction of any new controlled parking zone would be subject to community support;

(9)          make no revisions to the policy in relation to business permits;

(10)       refers this report to the Housing and Environment Committee;

(11)       instructs officers to monitor the benefits and outcomes of emission related parking charges in other cities and to report back in 18 months;

(12)       notes that officers are seeking counsel’s opinion on the implications for Aberdeen City Council of the “Barnet Case” and instructs them to report back on the outcome of this at the earliest possible date;

(13)       in relation to the Garthdee controlled parking zone:

(i)            agrees to suspend the introduction of residents’ parking permit charges;

(ii)          instructs officers to undertake discussions with RGU with the objective of securing continuing financial support from RGU for the administration costs of the Garthdee controlled parking zone; and

(iii)         instructs officers to undertake an informal consultation with residents living in the proposed extension to the Garthdee controlled parking zone, on the basis that residents’ parking permits in this area would be free of charge, to seek views on whether residents now support the extension of the Garthdee controlled parking zone and to incorporate the results of this into the report previously instructed;

(14)       refers this to the Finance, Policy and Resources Committee to consider allocating any additional finance which may be required arising from 1-13 above; and

(15)       instructs officers to consult with Aberdeen Inspired, Visit Aberdeen and the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce on parking charges within the Inner City Centre, Outer City Centre and Peripheral Zones as outlined in Appendix 3 with a view to encouraging city centre regeneration and to report back to the Committee at its meeting on 13^th March 2014 with proposals for revised parking charges.

Councillor McCaig, seconded by Councillor Corall moved a further amendment:-

that the Committee:-

(1)          agrees to recommendations (a), (d) to (f), (i) and (j) of the report referred to above;

(2)          to make no change to the business parking permits;

(3)          instructs officers to consult with Aberdeen Inspired, Visit Aberdeen and the Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce on parking charges within the Inner City Centre, Outer City Centre and Peripheral Zones as outlined in Appendix 3 with a view to encouraging city centre regeneration and to report back to the Committee at its meeting on 13^th March 2014 with proposals for revised parking charges; and

(4)          to take no action in relation to recommendation (h) of the report.

In terms of Standing Order 12(9) a division between the two amendments was taken.

On a division, there voted:- for Councillor Yuill’s amendment (1) – Councillor Yuill; for Councillor McCaig’s amendment (5) – Councillors Corall, Cormie, Jaffrey, MacGregor and McCaig; declined to vote (9) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Finlayson, Milne, Jean Morrison MBE, Thomson and Young.

A division between the motion and the successful amendment was then taken.

On a division, there voted:- for the motion (10) – the Convener, the Vice Convener and Councillors Allan, Boulton, Finlayson, Milne, Jean Morrison MBE, Thomson, Young and Yuill; for the amendment (5) – Councillors Corall, Cormie, Jaffrey, MacGregor and McCaig.

The Committee resolved:-

to adopt the motion.