Agenda item

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Scrutiny Board considered a briefing note of the Parking Services Team Manager which provided information on the current activities and arrangements in respect of the Council’s Parking Enforcement operation. The briefing note also provided an overview of performance and the key priorities.

The Council has been responsible for parking enforcement in Coventry since April 2005 when the function was decriminalised and transferred from the West Midlands Police.

Since March 2008, Civil Parking Enforcement has operated under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004. Amongst other things, the legislation requires the council to review its parking policies on a regular basis to ensure that they are effective, appropriate, consistent, fair and transparent. The legislation also states that any financial surpluses that are generated from Civil Parking Enforcement are ‘ring fenced’ and could only be used to fund the service and other highway improvements and traffic safety schemes. Parking enforcement should not therefore, be used as a means for raising revenue for the Council.

The Council’s Parking Service comprises 4 main functions:

·  Civil parking enforcement operation

·  Bus lane enforcement operation

·  The appeals service

·  Car park management

In July 2015, the entire Parking Appeals team (and associated work) transferred to the Council’s Customer Services.

Parking activities are integral to the Council’s transport strategies but getting the balance right between the demands for parking and the needs of Coventry’s growing population remains a challenge.

In recent years, the service had been streamlined to remove duplication of effort and to deliver significant cost and efficiency savings. As a result, management of the Council’s car parks and civil parking enforcement duties were now both undertaken by the in-house Parking Team.

Civil Parking Enforcement is not always popular with some people but the service is absolutely vital to improve road safety, traffic flow and access for essential public and emergency services. The briefing note provided further information on staff resources, operational arrangements, civil enforcement officers and performance levels, residents’ parking scheme and penalty charge recovery process.

The Scrutiny Board noted that the relevant legislation allows the Council to enforce some parking restrictions using CCTV cameras where enforcement using traditional methods is difficult. Over recent years, Parking Services had the use of an enforcement car fitted with an Automated Number Place Recognition (ANPR) camera. This enabled Parking Service to effectively enforce parking restrictions outside some schools. The supplier has now withdrawn the use of the ANPR car and rather than compromise the safety of school children, Parking Services has recently bought its own ANPR enforcement car which was currently being commissioned. It was expected to be ready for deployment early in the new financial year. 

There are 115 schools with over 200 access points that need to be kept clear and regularly enforced. The ANPR enforcement car would provide an effective means of enforcing the school keep clear restrictions and identifying parking ‘hotspots’.

Outside of the school drop off/pick up times, the ANPR enforcement car would be used to enforce the red-route along the A4600, bus stops, taxi ranks, loading/unloading ban locations and residents parking schemes where digital permits have been issued.

The briefing note provided additional information on the city centre restricted parking zones, the residents’ parking schemes and the penalty charge notice recovery process.

The Scrutiny Board noted that any surplus income generated from the recovery of penalty charges is ring fenced and could only be used to fund the service and other highway improvements and traffic safety schemes. 

The Scrutiny Board questioned the officers on aspects of the Briefing Note, including:

·  The rationale behind the Parking Appeals team  being located within Customer Services

·  The effectiveness of having just one ANPR enforcement car in Coventry

·  The 65% of recovery of penalty charges and the challenges faced

·  The use of CCTV cameras outside schools

·  Statistics around the use of the ANPR enforcement car

The Scrutiny Board requested that indicative costs for CCTV cameras to be installed outside schools be circulated to members.

RESOLVED:-

1.  That the Scrutiny Board notes the actions and initiatives in place to tackle the key parking enforcement priorities.

2.  That the Scrutiny Board had no recommendations to make to the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities and the Cabinet Member for City Services.