Agenda item

At its meeting held on 13 January 2022, the Service Delivery Executive Advisory Board (EAB) was invited to consider a report reviewing the off-street parking pricing structure proposals which formed part of the Off-Street Parking Business Plan 2022-23.

The Programme Manager (Car Parks) introduced the report for the EAB’s consideration.  The following points arose from related questions, comments and discussion for forwarding to the Executive:

1.           With regard to integration of on and off-street parking, the latter had charged for parking in the evenings and on Sundays for many years whilst there had been no similar parking controls for on-street parking resulting in visitors parking on residential streets around the town centre to avoid charges at these times.  This had caused issues for residents and was one of the key drivers for the recent introduction of on-street charges.

2.           A move to more sustainable transport was sought and one of the few mechanisms available to the Council to influence behaviours was through its off-street car park pricing policy.

3.           A reduction in demand for parking following the pandemic had not been witnessed other than in the long stay York Road and Farnham Road Car Parks which were not currently utilised to full capacity.  A parking study undertaken by the Systra Group in 2020 had indicated that there was an increased demand for visitor parking and attention needed to be given to how best accommodate that within car parks or by encouraging alternative transport modes.  It was acknowledged that future residential developments in the Borough were likely to generate increased demand for parking and close working with Corporate Programmes colleagues was taking place regarding the timing of the redevelopment of car parks such as Bright Hill as this would have an impact on parking capacity and demand.  Possibly, the car parks with spare capacity could absorb some of the displaced parking demand.

4.           The Park and Ride service had been significantly impacted by the pandemic due to factors including a shortage of drivers and a significant reduction in use by commuters, one of largest user groups, owing to an increase in working from home.  Identified weaknesses with the Onslow site were the need to travel through a congested area to access the site and high operating expenses as the site was outside Council ownership.  Land on the approach to Shalford was suggested as a possible Park and Ride site which could cater for new developments planned in the Cranleigh area.  There was a possibility that the Artington site may be utilised as a bus depot enabling the parking of buses overnight when customer parking had ceased for the day.  It was felt that improvements to the Park and Ride sites would render them more attractive and increase their use alleviating congestion and pollution in the town centre.  Therefore officers were seeking to improve and develop the service which included identifying options and opportunities to secure more economical and better placed sites.  However, this was hampered by the cessation of related Government funding in the near future and the uncertainties around the future demand for the service due to changing work and behavioural patterns following COVID-19.

5.           In response to a query as to whether the former Arriva garage site in Mary Road could be utilised as a Park and Ride depot or a car park, the EAB was advised that this was unlikely as the site was privately owned, at risk of flooding and possibly earmarked for redevelopment.

6.           In terms of parking season tickets, it was suggested that permit holders’ workplace destination should be taken into account in addition to the source of their car journey when allocating permit controlled parking bays in order to minimise congestion and pollution.  Officers confirmed that, for this reason, customers and corporate clients were directed towards the York Road and Farnham Road Car Parks which acted as interceptors located in the outer areas of the town and had spare capacity.

7.           An effective communications campaign would be required to explain the reasons for the proposed parking tariff increases to the public and businesses and the Parking Team were working with the Communications Team to achieve this.  Some resistance to the increases was anticipated and some negative comments had been made via social media, although these may equally apply to the recent changes to on-street parking agreed by the Guildford Joint Committee concerning the introduction of controls in the evenings and on Sundays.

8.           There was some support for implementing Option A to minimise the increase in the shopper tariff and encourage people to visit the town centre.  However, Guildford was a regional draw with much to offer visitors and its parking charges compared favourably with other regional centres.

9.           Discussions would be held with Experience Guildford and local businesses regarding the proposed parking tariff increases to address any fear of a resulting reduced footfall in the town.  Past experience had shown that shoppers valued parking convenience over the level of parking charges and increased tariffs did not reduce footfall or negatively impact on businesses.  Charges varied between different car parks giving drivers some options.

10.        Consideration should be given to the possible introduction of reduced off-street parking tariffs on Thursday afternoons and evenings to coincide with and support the late night shopping initiative in Guildford.  Such reductions could also be applied to other events such as the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

11.        This Council should continue discussions with Surrey County Council with a view to securing provision of ‘end to end active travel’ amenities in the form of secure cycle parking facilities as electric bikes and cycling were encouraged and becoming more popular as a sustainable mode of transport.

In conclusion, the EAB indicated its general support for the proposed increases in the off-street parking tariffs recommended in the report.  The Board recognised the challenges that the Council faced in relation to encouraging different behaviours with a view to tackling climate change and improving air quality.  As factors such as public transport were largely outside the Council’s control, it was felt that further work should be undertaken in this area to secure improvements and encourage greater use where possible.