Agenda and minutes

Thriving Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee - Thursday, 11th July, 2024 10.00 am

Venue: Hybrid - Neuadd Cyngor Ceredigion, Penmorfa, Aberaeron / remotely via video conference

Contact: Lisa Evans 

Items
No. Item

1.

Apologies

Minutes:

None.

2.

Disclosures of personal interest (including whipping declarations) Members are reminded of their personal responsibility to declare any personal and prejudicial interest in respect of matters contained in this agenda in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000, the Council’s Constitution and the Members Code of Conduct. In addition, Members must declare any prohibited party whip which the Member has been given in relation to the meeting as per the Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011.

Minutes:

None.

3.

Off Street Pay and Display Car Park Review proposals June 2024 pdf icon PDF 2 MB

Minutes:

Councillor Keith Henson, Cabinet Member outlined the report upon the Off Street Pay and Display Car Park Review proposal June 2024 and Mr Rhodri Llwyd, Corporate Lead Officer, Highways and Environmental Services subsequently provided Members with a detailed power point presentation on the Car park review proposals. The following information was provided:-

 

         Background

o        Package of proposals to meet income target

o        Need to be considered /accepted in their entirety

o        Simplified charges and arrangements

o        Failure to meet target will mean further cuts to services/functions within HES

 

         Changes to Season Ticket Offering

o        Remove car park specific season ticket options

o        Establish new ‘Ceredigion Long Stay Season Ticket’ *

o        *Establish new ‘North Road and Ceredigion Long Stay Season Ticket’

o        Revised scale of Charges for Season Tickets

 

 

         Extend Maesyrafon Car Park

o        Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA)

o        S45-S46 enables the designation of charged for parking places on highways

o        Changes will require the making of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which will be subject to public consultation

 

         Change Designation of Gloster Row

o        Change the designation to a Season Ticket car park

o        Small car park with limited number of spaces

o        Access is restricted due to its location

o        Predominantly used by residents

o        Not cost effective to install new P&D machine

 

         Change Designation of Pendre

o        Historically a Permit Holder only car park

o        Better utilised as a short stay P&D car park

o        Prime location, near to main shopping areas

o        Provides level access to those with limited mobility

o        Affords free parking outside charging hours

 

         Simplification of Charges / Tariffs

o        All types of vehicle paying the same rate in a car park

o        Two bands of charging – coastal and inland

o        Standardised tariffs in all* car parks 2, 4 and 24hrs

o        Removing weekly ticket tariff options

o        Consistency of all year and hours of charging

 

         Reduce Frequency of Changes to F&C

o        Currently reviewed annually through F&C

o        Proposed to change to a 3-year or 5-year review cycle

o        Reduction in cost

o        Reduction in admininstration

o        Long term consistency

o        Greater certainty for customers

o        Period of price stability

 

         Change Approach to Blue Badges

o        Currently free parking only for specific criteria

o        Proposed to change that blue badge holders

receive an additional 1hr free on top of paid for parking

o        Aligns with neighbouring Authorities

o        Easier to communicate the position to users

 

         Administrative/Housekeeping

o        Consolidate all changes into one TRO

o        TRO will be subject to public consultation

o        Proposals considered as a single package

 

Members thanked the Cabinet Member and Corporate Lead Officer for a comprehensive report and following questions from the floor and clarification on the proposals, it it was RESOLVED that a recorded vote be taken and the voting was as follows: -

 

For: Councillors Marc Davies, Gwyn Wigley Evans, Shelly Childs, Gethin Davies, Meirion Davies, Wyn Evans, Chris James,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3.

4.

On-street Charged for Parking Proposals - Aberystwyth Promenade pdf icon PDF 145 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Councillor Keith Henson, Cabinet Member outlined the report upon the

On-street Charges for Parking Proposals - Aberystwyth Promenade

and Mr Rhodri Llwyd. Corporate Lead Officer, Highways and Environmental Services subsequently provided Members with a detailed power point presentation on the proposals. The following information was provided:-

 

         Background

o        Origins in previous studies:

o        Aberystwyth Masterplan: Transportation Statement 2006

o        Capita Report 2016

o        Strike a balance between the needs of access to services, residents, businesses, students and visitors to the town

 

         Enabling Legislation

         Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 (RTRA)

         S45-S46 enables the designation of charged for parking places on highways

         Changes will require the making of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO), which will be subject to public consultation

         S55 of the RTRA requires the LA to keep account of income and expenditure

         Surplus may be used for items such as:

         Making good deficits in the parking account

         Meeting the cost of off-street parking infrastructure

         Public bus services

         Highway improvements

         Environmental improvements

         Proposal

o        The principle for charging may not be popular or accepted by all

o        The proposal provides for greater availability of parking by increasing turnover without negatively impacting on the economy of the town or wellbeing of its residents

 

         The Case for Change – Scheme Benefits

o        Increased on-street parking turnover

o        Anticipated increased trade

o        Greater use of public transport

o        Reduction in traffic congestion

o        Improved traffic flows

o        Greater levels of active travel

 

         Arrangements for Blue Badge Holders

o        Blue Badge holders would be:

o        exempt from charges when parking in a charged for space

o        exempt from any limit on maximum period of stay within a charged for space

 

         Charging Structure

o        £3.50 for 2hrs

o        £5.00 for 4hrs

 

         Charging Assumptions

o        Charging from Castle Point to Constitution Hill

o        8am to 8pm

o        Mon – Sun (7 days/week)

o        Options for 2hr or 4hr parking

o        Payment by app/phone or by cashless P&D machines

 

 

Following questions from the floor and clarification on the proposals, the Chair requested any other amendments/proposals from the Committee to recommend to Cabinet, however, none were forthcoming. It was RESOLVED that a recorded vote be taken and the voting was as follows: -

 

For: Councillors Chris James and Maldwyn Lewis (2)

 

Against: Gwyn Wigley Evans, Shelly Childs, Gethin Davies, Meirion Davies, Wyn Evans, Sian Maehrlein, John Roberts and Carl Worrall (8)

 

 

Abstention: Councillor Marc Davies (1)

 

It was therefore agreed not to support the proposals put forward in relation to the introduction of charged for parking along the Promenade in Aberystwyth.

5.

Winter Service Provision pdf icon PDF 1 MB

Minutes:

Consideration was given to the Report upon the Winter Service Provision in order to provide a comprehensive review of the Winter Service to Members of the Committee. Mr Phil Jones, Corporate Manager, Highway Services provided the following information by power point presentation:-

 

         The Legal Position

o        Statutory duty of highway authorities to maintain the highway by the insertion, after Section 41(1) of the Highways Act (1980).

o        It is not reasonable either to:

           Provide the service on all parts of the Network;

           Nor

Ensure running surfaces are kept free of ice or snow at all    times, even on the treated parts of the network, as far as is reasonable.

 

         Returning to what may be considered ‘reasonable’. When comparing the percentage of the county road network which was pretreated in advance of forecasted ice and/or snow by our neighbouring authority areas, Ceredigion was circa 20% whilst Pembrokeshire was 19%; Powys was 19%; and Carmarthenshire was 22%.

 

         Review 2024-25

The proposed update in advance of the 2024-25 Winter Season would need to align with the approved new Code of Practice for Highway Safety Inspection and Defect Rectification Policy, which advocates a data led risk based prioritisation approach.

 

         Assessment Scoring 2024-25

All routes had been reassessed using the new Assessment Matrix, resulting in the reassessment of the scores attributed to each individual route or, if appropriate in some circumstances, parts of routes

 

         Budget / Pre-treated Route Length

In 2018 the threshold for the pre-treatment was set at +2, equating to pre-treatment network length of 463.1km and it was noted in the report at that time that this would require an increase in the Winter Service budget provision of £18k for salt procurement based on an average winter season.

 

Following the reassessment / review in 2024 the closest network length to 463.1km coincides with a score of +1 at 458.1km.

2018 routes achieving the revised threshold score following the 2024 assessment review and will now be pre-treated are:

 

Rhodfar Felin, Cardigan, (+2) (0.87km)

 

2018 routes not achieving the revised threshold score following the 2024 review and would not be pre-treated were:

 

B4570 Manarafon to Cwm Cou, (-1) (13.7km)

          C1001C Jct. C1007 Comins Coch - Capel Dewi, (-7) (1.9km)

         

         Cost Savings / Budget Pressures

The budget for providing the winter service in 2023-24 was £232,000.

On 29/02/24, Ceredigion County Council set its budget for

2024-25. These proposals included the budget reduction of £25k in relation to the Winter Service provision. For 2024-25 the budget for the Winter Service provision had been reduced to £207,000, a reduction of 11%.

The 2024-25 review had identified additional cost pressures in the delivery of the service, and these include increases due to,

I.        Plant

II.       Diesel +31%

III.      Labour +13%

IV.      Materials (salt) +29%

 

         Cost Saving Proposals

In order to mitigate, as far as reasonably possible, those cost

pressures imposed by budget cuts and inflationary pressures on plant,

labour, diesel and materials, the Service was proposing the following

measures  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

To confirm the Minutes of the previous Meeting and to consider any matters arising from those Minutes pdf icon PDF 85 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was AGREED to confirm the minutes of the previous meetings.

 

7.

To consider the Overview and Scrutiny Forward Work Programme pdf icon PDF 80 KB

Additional documents:

Minutes:

It was AGREED to confirm the content of the Forward Work Programme subject to the addition of refuse collection report due to the recent issues of non-collection in the South of the County.