Issue - meetings

Matter for Decision:  

The Officer’s report set out the current position and issues regarding Council garages in the City.

 

Key priorities were identified as follows:

(i)                Review charging mechanism for garages.

(ii)              Identify garage sites where there is low demand or where investment requirements mean that retention of the garage site is not financially viable.

(iii)            Use proceeds of sales of garage sites to fund improvement programmes to improve the quality of garage sites for which there is a continuing demand.

(iv)            Identify garage sites where alternative use can facilitate the Council’s broader parking initiatives and regeneration programmes.

(v)              Carry out appraisals on garage sites to inform the improvement plan.

 

Decision of Executive Councillor for Housing:

(i)                Agreed the principles underpinning the Improvement Plan.

(ii)              Approved the development of the Improvement Plan in context with the HRA Business Plan.

(iii)            Agreed in principle the implementation of differential charges for popular sites, and to bring a report back to Housing Management Board in future.

 

Reason for the Decision:

As set out in the Officer’s report.

 

Any Alternative Options Considered and Rejected:

Not applicable.

 

Scrutiny Considerations:

The Committee received a report from the Area Housing Manager regarding the review of Council Garages across the City. He stated P14 paragraph 3.7 of his report contained a typographical error listing Uphill Road in the North of the City when it was in the South.

 

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

 

(i)                Observed that garages were used for a variety of purposes such as play areas or general storage, rather than their intended purpose of storing cars. Members were aware of some garages being sub-let. Officers were requested to undertake enforcement checks to free up inappropriately used garages as demand exceeded supply.

(ii)              Some garages were in a state of disrepair and viewed as unsafe/insecure, therefore there was little demand for them. Some are also too small for modern cars. Conversely, there was high demand for garages in some other areas too. Members requested bigger and more secure garages. Members requested Officers to undertake a review to ensure supply met demand to prevent more on-street park. Any garage sites that were redeveloped (eg turned into housing) should be replaced elsewhere.

(iii)            Leaseholder/Tenant Representatives and City Homes South Officers were making on-going representations that fed into a garage marketing plan.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Director of Customer & Community Services plus Area Housing Manager confirmed the following:

 

(i)                Officers proposed to manage garage provision more actively in future, as well as other Council assets. This would enable more systematic marketing.

(ii)              The Local Plan Review required a parking facilities review when garages were demolished.

(iii)            The Officer’s report was the start of a process covering a program of improvements for Council garages.

(iv)            Rent income from Council garages goes into the Capital Programme, it is not ring fenced. A Housing Revenue Account review plan is underway, details would be brought back to HMB in future.

(v)              There will be a greater provision of Council garages in future compared to current provision. A priority list was in place currently in areas of high demand.

(vi)            Garages can be used for a number of purposes other than storing cars, if permission is sought from the Council in advance. Officers could discuss permitted use with enquirers on request.

 

The Chair decided that the recommendations highlighted in the Officer’s report should be voted on and recorded separately:

 

The Committee resolved by 10 votes to 0 to endorse recommendations (i) and (ii).

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendations.

 

Councillor Rosenstiel withdrew from the meeting for the remainder of this item and did not participate in the discussion or decision making.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Director of Customer & Community Services plus Area Housing Manager confirmed the following:

 

(i)                A working group (including select HMB Members) would review charges for City centre garage sites during Autumn 2012.

(ii)              A report would be brought back to HMB in January 2013 concerning charges for City Centre garage sites.

 

Councillors requested a change to recommendation (iii). Councillor Brown formally proposed to amend the following recommendation from the Officer’s report (amendments shown as bold and struck through text):

·        (iii)To agree in principle the implementation of differential charges for popular City centre garage sites, and to bring a report back to Housing Management Board in future.

 

The Committee approved this amended recommendation by 10 votes to 0.

 

The Committee resolved 11 votes to 0 to endorse the recommendation as amended.

 

The Executive Councillor approved the recommendation as amended.

 

Conflicts of interest declared by the Executive Councillor (and any dispensations granted)

Not applicable.