Issue - meetings

As Chair I have ruled that under 100B(4)(b) of the Local Government Act 1972 the Record of Decision concerning parking permits (a late item) could be brought to this committee despite not being made publicly available for this Committee five clear days prior to the meeting.

The reason being that the decision has been made and is one to be noted. This enables the item to be brought to this committee for comment in a public forum rather than wait until the June Committee. 

The Strategic Director said the following in response to comments made by Councillor Bick.

      i.         There were several factors that had been considered when making this decision which included government legislation and their roadmap to ease restrictions during the pandemic and health and safety regulations.

    ii.         The roadmap offered an opportunity for all business to re-open over the next three months.

   iii.         The work of external partnerships also had to be considered. The County Council were currently studying the lifting of restricted bus services from the park and ride sites across the city and opening public transport.

  iv.         The requirements of the community and voluntary sector workers (low paid and those who gave their time for free) who supported community aid and those who supported essential business which were open had also been considered.

    v.         The Council supported the reduction in the excess use of private vehicles.

  vi.         Income from the car park was essential in allowing the Council to supply other services to the community.

 vii.         Free parking had been allocated to public and voluntary sector workers in a previous Record of Decision also to those workers for essential businesses open during the lock down period.

viii.         Important to take into consideration the council resources to manage free or discounted permits; also, the physical changes to tariffs on car parks which took time to change.

  ix.         The Council had taken the view that over the next three months that most business would be able to operate.

    x.         There were numerous public and voluntary sector workers who travelled across the city providing support and aid and therefore it was relevant to extend the free parking to these groups.

  xi.         Discounted permits were also available for the next three months for low paid workers who had supported essential business.

The Executive Councillor for Transport and Community Safety stated it was important that public transport was not a casualty of the pandemic.

Many council officers were working from home while some had been redeployed elsewhere to assist with essential services. Believed the amount of city council officers using the car parks would be minimal and the benefit to the wider public sector would be greater.

Councillor Bick requested his dissatisfaction to the responses given be minuted.

It was not a question at how essential the services were that people were providing but they had employment contracts in which they had no choice in delivering them. This applied to both those in the public and private sector, public money was being used to provide free or discounted parking which those in the private had contributed to who were being denied this substantial benefit.

The decision was unfair and unreasonable, people should be treated the same.

The decision was then noted.