Purpose

To provide details of the grant proposal made by the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) to the Council.

The proposal asks the Council to consider a ‘free after 4pm parking Monday to Friday’ scheme from 1st October 2026 until 31st March 2028. This would represent a reduction in chargeable hours. The scheme proposal is accompanied by a grant funding offer to mitigate the budget impact to the Council to offset any loss of income that the Council would ordinarily have expected to receive.

The report summarises the grant proposal, its implications, and puts forward a series of recommendations should Members wish to move forward with accepting the grant.

Decision

The Cabinet has

(1)  noted the proposal for grant funding which has been made by the Mayor of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA);

(2)  noted that sufficient powers exist for Officers to accept said grant funding in consultation with the relevant Portfolio Holder;

(3)  endorsed that Officers, on behalf of the Council, should undertake steps to formally accept the funding – including formalising necessary grant agreements and payment profiles etc;

(4)  agreed to the use of the grant funding to implement a ‘free after 4pm parking Monday to Friday’ scheme based on the recommended option (at section 3) as set out within the report; and

(5)  delegated responsibility for the implementation of the aforementioned scheme to the Corporate Director (Place) in consultation with the Executive Councillor for Parks and Countryside, Waste and Street Scene as necessary including:

(a)  to make and confirm necessary changes to the Parking Places Orders where required and to make and confirm the Notice of Variation required to implement the agreed charges;

(b)  to make and confirm necessary changes to the Parking Places Orders where required and to make and confirm the Notice of Variation to reinstate the current (until 1800 Monday to Friday) chargeable hours from 1st April 2028 or sooner if the operation of the scheme results in unintended or unforeseen detrimental impacts including but not limited to financially impacting the Council (e.g. where loss of income exceeds the grant contribution), or other detrimental impact occurs to people, place or the Council as a consequence of operation; and

(c)  to undertake any other activities necessary to implement, vary or cease the scheme including any necessary changes and reinstatement works.

Reasons for the decision

As outlined within the report.

Alternative options considered

As outlined within the report.