Agenda item

Report of the Director of City Services and Commercial

To consider the above petitions bearing 27 signatures. The petition has been sponsored by Councillor K Sandhu, an Earlsdon Ward Councillor, who has been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item along with the Petition Organiser.

The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities considered a report of the Director of City Services and Commercial, which responded to a petition against proposed car park charges at the War Memorial Park.

The petition contained 27 signatures and was lodged by the Coventry Spires U3A and objected to charges for parking at in the Kenilworth Road car park a the War Memorial Park.  In accordance with the City Council’s procedure for dealing with petitions, those relating to parks are heard by the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities.

On receipt of the determination letter, the petition organiser requested that the issue be considered at a Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities meeting.

The report indicated that parking charges are necessary to meet the financial demands of maintaining Parks and Openspaces across the City including the War Memorial Park and its associated sites such as Spencer Park, Top Green and Allesley Parks.  Over the past 6 years, the council has embarked on a commercialism approach that seeks to maximise the value of every asset that the Council holds, including seeking to generate new revenue for the Council, helping to protect, support and invest in services provided within the Parks and partially mitigates the impact of proposed/potential reductions in revenue for the service.

The Council is required to set a balanced budget, and this legal duty is balanced with continuing to deliver the key services to residents and businesses in the City  The Pre-Budget report 2024-2025 forecast a £9m shortfall and indicated that this had been brought on by rising demand, underfunding and the difficult economic climate, not just in Coventry but across the whole sector. As a result of these pressures, a number of cost-cutting proposals were put forward for residents, colleagues and businesses to comment on. The proposals were subject to an eight-week consultation period which ended on 7 February 2024.

One such proposal was to remove the current 3 hours free parking at the War Memorial Park and standardise parking charges with those at Coombe Abbey Park, based on 23/24 charges at the time, as follows:

  Up to 1 hour  £1.00

  1-2 hours  £3.00

  2-4 hours  £3.50

  Day ticket  £5.00

However, this proposal was rejected, and the three hours period of free parking remains in place.  The financial impact of removing all charges for parking would be significant and contra to the city councils One Coventry Plan - enabling priority – Continued financial sustainability of the council.  The Cabinet Member noted that the income received in 2023/24 was £54,395 against an income target of £139k as a result of the service not being able to implement the intended charges following budget setting for 24/25 placing further pressure on the Parks and Open Spaces service.

Councillor Dr K Sandhu and the Petition Organiser spoke in support of the petition, highlighting the following points:

·  That the Coventry Spires U3A are members of the University of the Third Age and hold group meetings on a regular basis between 10.30am and 12.30pm at the visitor centre in the War Memorial Park.

·  The 3 hour parking limit is insufficient for them to enjoy refreshments in the café after the group meetings have concluded.

·  There are a number of groups that make use of the education room at the park who will probably have to look elsewhere to hold meetings if the charges are implemented.

·  It was unclear whether the £54k had come from the Kenilworth Road car park or the combination of both the Kenilworth Road and the Leamington Road car parks.

·  That the loss of £54k is a very small sum against a shortfall of £9m.

·  If charges are implemented, people will either not use the park or will park in local streets, destroying the local area.

·  If parking is free, more people are likely to visit the park and use the café facilities.

·  People want the opportunity to visit the park due to having memorial trees / benches for family members.

·  The park should not be compared with Coombe Abbey Park as it is a War Memorial Park.

·  The park does not belong to the Council as it was purchased by public donation as a War Memorial and should be treated differently to all other parks.

Officers responded to confirm that the proposals regarding the charges had not been implemented but that the petition refers to removing all charges.  The sum of £54k was a total across both car parks, although the majority was from the Kenilworth Road Car Park and that the loss of this income would cause further pressures upon the service.  It was also clarified that whilst the park had been purchased through public donations, the Council has the same obligations for maintenance and care at the War Memorial Park as with all other parks in the City.

RESOLVED that, the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities:

1.  Notes the Petitioners’ concerns.

2.  Endorses the actions which had been agreed to be issued by determination letter to the petition organiser, as detailed in Paragraph 1.0 of the report.