Issue - meetings

Decision:

(1)         That the Council enters into a contract with Waverley Borough Council to provide parking enforcement services as part of collaborative arrangements. 

(2)         That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director - Place to enter into such agreement(s) as will be necessary to implement this decision.

(3)         That the Off-Street Staffing budget be increased to cover the increased establishment costs as described in paragraph 11.1 of the report submitted to the Executive.

Reason:

The Council will benefit from a reduction in overhead costs but more importantly there will be improved resilience as a result of the larger parking enforcement officer team.

Options considered and rejected:

To take no action.

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None.

Waverley Borough Council’s contract for off-street car parking enforcement with its current provider (Marston’s Group NSL) expired on the 30^th of September 2024. There were a number of options available to Waverley Borough Council for providing the service once the contract ended. A project was undertaken by the Business Transformation Team (Waverley Borough Council), both councils’ car parking teams and enabling services at both Waverley Borough Council and Guildford Borough Council (“the Council”) to explore opportunities to work collaboratively to provide this service.

The Executive considered a report setting out the options for the Council to contract with Waverley Borough Council to provide parking enforcement services. The proposal had been considered by the Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the recommendation to proceed was met with approval.

The Executive considered the proposal a beneficial example of close collaboration between the two councils that provided efficiencies of cost, service delivery and resilience. The proposal was welcomed and it was hoped further such opportunities would arise going forward.

The recommendations had been approved by Waverley Borough Council’s Executive the previous week.

RESOLVED

(1)         That the Council enters into a contract with Waverley Borough Council to provide parking enforcement services as part of collaborative arrangements. 

(2)         That authority be delegated to the Strategic Director - Place to enter into such agreement(s) as will be necessary to implement this decision.

(3)         That the Off-Street Staffing budget be increased to cover the increased establishment costs as described in paragraph 11.1 of the report submitted to the Executive.

Reason:

The Council will benefit from a reduction in overhead costs but more importantly there will be improved resilience as a result of the larger parking enforcement officer team.

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services introduced the item.  She suggested that the proposed off-street car parking enforcement contract was an example of how the collaboration between the Council and Waverley Borough Council could benefit both councils. 

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services indicated that Waverley Borough Council's contract for off street car park enforcement with its current provider expired on 30 September, and there were a number of options available to Waverley Borough Council for providing the service after this date.  She advised that a project undertaken by the Transformation Team at Woking Borough Council, car parking teams, and enabling services at both councils explored options for a joint service.

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services indicated that bringing the off-street parking services together would increase resilience as a higher number of enforcement officers provided greater flexibility around both cover and recruitment.  She informed the Committee that the proposal was supported by Waverley Borough Council’s Executive the previous evening. 

The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services undertook to take any comments from the Committee through to the Council’s Executive.

In reply to questions from members of the Committee, the Parking Lead advised that it was hoped the staff employed by the current provider in Waverley would TUPE across.  He indicated that there would not be any increase initially in the level of enforcement, but having a larger body of enforcement staff available would enable resources to be directed to address particular issues in specific car parks as necessary.  The Lead Councillor for Commercial Services and the Parking Lead suggested there might be economies of scale in future procurement under the proposed arrangement. 

The Parking Lead confirmed that income from off-street car parking enforcement fines in Waverley would continue to go to Waverley Borough Council.

RESOLVED: That the off-street car parking enforcement contract proposals within the report submitted to the Committee be endorsed.