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Agenda item

Call-In of Cabinet Decision; Allocation of Parking Funds

Purpose

To consider the call-in request relating to the Cabinet decision of 21 April 2021 (minute no. 130) relating to the Allocation of Parking Funds.

Recommendation

a)    That the Committee decides whether or not to support the call-in request; and

b)    That, if the request is supported, the Committee determines whether it wishes to submit any additional comments to Cabinet.

Minutes:

The Committee considered the report relating to the Call In of the Cabinet decision on the Allocation of Parking Funds, considered at 21 April 2021 meeting.

 

The decision had been called in by Councillors Cooper, Leffman Graham and Poskitt.

 

Councillor Cooper addressed the meeting and felt there had been a lack of definition around the decision, queried how the amounts had been arrived at and asked if Publica had the resources to take on the report.  He asked how the expenditure would be monitored and asked if the Council would be adopting the suggestions put forward by Parish and/or Town Councils.

 

In response, Councillor MacRae advised that when the District Council initially agreed to undertake some work on on-street parking issues, due to a lack of capacity at OCC, it was envisaged the work would take just a few months for each of the major settlements.  However, the project within Woodstock had taken a very considerable amount of time, principally, because of the need to engage with so many groups and the high number of contacts from within the Community. 

 

In addition, the Covid pandemic saw a significant number of members of staff redeployed from their ‘normal’ duties to work on the Council’s Covid response.

 

As with the study conducted in Corn Street/Church Green Witney, the results of the Woodstock parking study were reported to OCC for them to consider and take forward any changes they considered appropriate, including support for a one-way system around ‘the triangle’ and a restriction on large vehicles accessing the town centre.  He reminded Councillor Cooper that the district authority was not the Highway authority and could not therefore make decisions on changes to on-street parking regulations.  The district council did not have the capacity to provide continued support to the project, as focus needed to be directed to other parking service management and improvement matters.  The County Council would therefore need to take this matter forward.

 

In response to the comment ‘…due to the lack of information on the change in capacity within PUBLICA to undertake this task.’  Councillor MacRae advised that the report was published in his name and he took full responsibility for its content.  He wascontent to publish it and did not think it was appropriate to cast blame on members of staff in this matter.

 

Moving to the second point raised, ‘Undefined terms’ Councillor MacRae explained that the funding was provided for the following purposes:

  • Review/study/collection of data on parking needs and issues, so that the information could be used to request changes to parking provision or restrictions, from the appropriate authority, where needed.
  • Contribution towards the cost of any changes agreed by the appropriate authority (i.e., towards line marking, subject to OCC Highways agreement)

As suggested by Cllr Enright at the Cabinet meeting, and agreed by Councillor MacRae, Councils receiving this funding would be asked to report back to WODC a breakdown of what had been spent and what had been achieved as a result.  Councillor MacRae also proposed that a requirement be included that the funds were to be used as directed within a two-year timespan with outcomes to be focused on improving parking, increasing parking provision or improving parking safety.

 

Following the statement from Councillor MacRae, Councillor Leffman advised she was still uncertain as to what the town or parish councils would be able to do with the money and queried if this was the best use of Council resources.

 

It was agreed that the criteria for spending the money needed to be clearly communicated with the parish and town councils and any letter would also advise that they had two years in which to spend the funds on ‘parking related’ activities.

 

It was therefore proposed and duly seconded that the Call In would not be supported and officers would add a ‘sunset’ clause of two years to the communication to councils.

“Councillor Cooper made representations stating that the Environment Scrutiny Committee had agreed to something different than the April Cabinet.”

 

Resolved that the Call in is not supported.

 

Supporting documents:

 

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