Agenda item

Councillors noted that, in January 2018, the Executive had approved a proposal to extend parking restrictions to Council-owned parks, including Sutherland Memorial Park car park in Burpham. These measures had been taken to improve access to parking for local clubs and societies and users of the park’s facilities.

On 22 July 2019, an e-petition was launched on the Council’s website requesting the Council to remove the new parking charges and restrictions at Sutherland Memorial Park car park. This petition received in excess of 500 signatures and under the Council’s adopted Petition Scheme required the Council to debate the matter raised by the e-petition and to indicate to the e-petition organiser what action, if any, the Council proposed to take in response.

In accordance with the Council’s petition scheme, the e-petition organiser Richard Smee, made a statement to the Council in support of the e-petition. 

The petition had stated the following:

“We the undersigned, petition Guildford Borough Council to remove the newly introduced parking charges and "no return same day" restrictions at Sutherland Memorial Park, Burpham.”

In his supporting statement accompanying the e-petition, the e-petition organiser had stated:

“The parking at Sutherland Memorial Park has been used for many years by parents of the local primary school as a parking area to enable them to drop off and collect their children without having to use the heavily congested Burpham Lane.

Following the introduction of the "no return same day" parking restrictions at the car park, it is no longer possible to use the car park for both drop-offs and pick-ups without paying the full £9 parking fee.

The restrictions are therefore expected to lead to an increase in the volume of cars driving down Burpham Lane directly to the school as people seek to avoid these charges. This increase in traffic is expected to pose a much higher risk of injury to those children that cycle or walk to the school, as well as cause a decrease in air quality in the immediate area.

Additionally, the parking has also historically been used by the staff at Burpham Primary School due to there being limited onsite parking, and the newly introduced restrictions will therefore lead to an increased financial burden on some of the staff that work there. The school currently enjoys an “Outstanding” overall Ofsted grade, and anything that impacts upon the school’s ability to attract or retain staff could potentially jeopardise this achievement.

It is feared that the impact of the newly introduced parking restrictions will therefore be detrimental to the Burpham community and will adversely affect the younger members of the community the most.

This petition has been created with the aim of requesting that the Council consider the wider impact of the current restrictions on the Burpham community and remove the newly introduced restrictions and charges.”

The Lead Councillor for Waste, Licensing, and Parking, Councillor David Goodwin proposed and the Lead Councillor for Finance and Asset Management, Customer Service, Councillor Joss Bigmore seconded the following motion for the purpose of the Council’s formal response to the e-petition:

“That the Council’s response to the e-petition is as follows:

That the Executive be requested to consider the following:

(1)   To ask officers to review the parking order through the statutory Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process as soon as practicable

(2)   To agree that the existing TRO remains in place until it is replaced

(3)   To implement a parking control that safeguards the use of the car park for park users

(4)   To agree that a revised control considers the following parameters:

(a)    Removal of the no return element

(b)     One free period of 5 hours each day per visitor within the hours of control (including allowing returns at no charge within the free period) and the ability to charge for additional hours for any time in excess of the free period or for any separate parking event outside of the free period in the same day

(c)     Restrictions that apply Monday to Friday (not at weekends and bank holidays)

(d)     Enforcement times of 9am to 5pm

with the final TRO to be issued for consultation being agreed by the Director of Environment, in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Countryside, Rural Life, and the Arts and the Lead Councillor for Waste, Licensing, and Parking.” 

After the debate on the motion, but before the vote was taken on it, Richard Smee exercised his right of reply on the debate. 

The motion was put to the vote and was lost.

Councillor George Potter proposed, and Councillor Steven Lee seconded the following alternative motion:

“That the Council’s response to the e-petition is as follows:

That the Executive be requested to consider the following proposal:

To temporarily cease enforcement of the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) at Sutherland Memorial Park Car Park and undertake a review as part of the annual parking business plan, such review to include consideration of options based on upon the following:

 Maintaining the car park for park visitors:

(a)     Maintain the restrictions in the current TRO with the exception of removing the no return and replacing it with display of a valid ticket.

Making the car park available for community use:

(b)   Revoke the Order (and return to allowing all day free parking to all), except for the enforcement of anti-social parking, through a new TRO.

(c)   Change the time the order applies from 6am to 5pm weekdays to between 10 am and 5pm, maintaining five hours free (providing time for dropping off, dog walking and additional visits later in the day), as well as unlimited visits after 5pm. The no return would be removed and changed to display of a ticket. This would still restrict motorists from parking all day prior to when the ticket machine issues tickets (10am) and charges would apply to park beyond the five-hour free period.”

The Council

RESOLVED: That the Council’s formal response to this e-petition, as set out in the alternative motion above, be approved.