Purpose

To bring forward a Parking Strategy for
Buckinghamshire which sets out our vision and ambitions for parking
across Buckinghamshire

Content

Due to the arrangements made
under legacy authorities, the parking service has historically been
delivered through a split operating model - Off Street enforcement
was delivered in house; On Street was outsourced. Following a
Better Buckinghamshire Service Review an integrated parking service
had been created which provided a more effective delivery model and
aligned to national standards where parking enforcement for on and
off street was delivered by one Council.
 
As a pre-cursor to the
formulation of this strategy an informal review of the Parking
Service was undertaken by a member working group at the request of
the Cabinet Member for Transport. The purpose of the review was to
assess what potential improvements could be made to better serve
the residents of Buckinghamshire and to address legacy
inconsistencies and outputs from the review have informed the
development of this Strategy.
 
The proposals set out in the
report, and in the draft Parking Strategy (Appendix A) set the
strategic direction of travel for the service which would support
the MTFP process and balance the Parking Account. The strategy
would enable the Council to set out its aims and objectives for
parking services, within the context of a rapidly changing
industry, across Buckinghamshire and highlight the importance and
value that parking services could provide for residents and local
communities. Not least, to ensure the associated regulatory
requirements were appropriately met for the Council, which included
compliance, but also how the parking estate would be financially
managed to assess car parks as an asset, along with how parking
supported the Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5).
 
The Parking Strategy set out
our vision for parking in Buckinghamshire across four themes:
Technology & Innovation, Parking Charges, Enforcement, and
Parking Assets which were detailed in the report.
 
RESOLVED that Cabinet -
 

1.     
agree the Parking Strategy for Buckinghamshire which sets out
the ambitions and vision for parking across
Buckinghamshire.

2.     
note the following which are in motion:
a.
Public consultation launched week commencing 15 January 2024 on the
Traffic Regulation Order to make amendments to provide a more
consistent customer experience by; removing unfunded free parking
sessions, updating hours of control, including introducing hours
and charges in preparation for the new Winslow Station Car Park,
and making On-Street charging amendments.
b.
Actions to strengthen the in-house parking team and increase
enforcement capacity to drive up parking compliance.
c.
In the process of joining the pilot of the National Parking Payment
Platform – a pilot funded by the Department for Transport to
increase flexibility to customers on how they choose to pay for
parking and remove the subsidy for Wycombe RingGo fees.
d.
A review of our parking estate, which may result in disposal of
non-profit making car parks.
e.
Preparation in the making to support transition to a digital
strategy for payment for parking, as cash payment machines reach
the end of life.