Contact: Kevin Travers, ext 7763

1. Summary

1.1 This report sets out the Borough Council's proposals to implement a Special Parking Area covering the Borough and requests that funding be allocated from the Local Transport Plan settlement to assist with the capital set up costs.

2. Background

2.1 A specialist consultant has undertaken a study into the feasibility of decriminalised parking enforcement in Test Valley. The general conclusion reached was that the creation of the Special Parking Area is financially viable within a timescale of five years and is operationally desirable, given the limited enforcement currently being undertaken by the Police and the level of illegal parking in Andover and Romsey.

2.2 In June this year the Borough Council's Executive Committee considered the consultant's findings and gave approval to proceed with the implementation of the Special Parking Area.

2.3 Permission was also given by the same Committee to negotiate the terms of an agency agreement with the Highway Authority to enable the Borough to undertake this function.

2.4 There have been informal meetings between County and Borough Council officers where it has been suggested that these proposals would form a sensible approach. This report and the attached programme are the beginning of a formal process.

3. Proposals

3.1 It is intended to undertake all the preparation work over a 24 month period commencing early next financial year, subject to funding. It is envisaged that responsibility of enforcement duties will be handed over by the Police in spring 2004.

3.2 The first stage in the process will be to review and revise signing and lining to ensure it accords with the Traffic Regulation Orders. This will involve amendments of out of date Orders and their consolidation, as well as the plotting of all parking restrictions onto a computer-based mapping system.

3.3 Ongoing practical and procedural changes will be made over the 24 month period, such as the centralising of the Car Park Administration function and the introduction of hand-held computers for the issue of Penalty Charge Notices. These changes are set out in the programme, attached as an appendix. The programme allows staff to become familiar with the new systems ahead of `going live' thus reducing the risk of problems.

3.4 The overall capital set up costs (which include start up costs such as training) will be £106,000. A breakdown of this cost is set out in the appendix. In addition, a Project Manager will need to be employed through financial year 2003/04.

3.5 The Test Valley area covers parts of four area transport strategies. Test Valley Borough Council is proposing to provide £59,000 from its area strategy contributions and £47,000 is required over two years from the County Council's Local Transport Plan (LTP) programme, which will be considered for funding as a county special project. The contribution from the LTP programme will be used to fund the capital elements of the project rather than the ongoing maintenance costs. There will then be no effect on the current County Council programmes for each strategy area. The total contribution requested from the County Council's budget is £15,000 in the next financial year and £32,000 in 2003/04.

Recommendation

That it be a RECOMMENDATION to the Executive Member for Environment that:

(i) the joint funding of the setting up of a Special Parking Area covering the Test Valley Borough area be supported; and

(ii) the funding be subject to incorporation into the Borough and County Councils' Capital Programmes when considered in January 2002.

6780/KT

APPENDIX

SPECIAL PARKING AREA - SET UP COSTS