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(Supplementary report of the Director of Street Scene, Leisure
and Technical Services, the Director of Finance and Transformation
and the Cabinet Member for Transformation and
Infrastructure)
 
The supplementary report highlighted a
number of proposed changes to the Borough Council’s
car parking services that had been considered by the Communities
and Environment Scrutiny Select Committee on 21 September
2023.  In
addition, it was proposed that formal public consultation on the
proposed changes be undertaken and the
outcomes reported to future meetings of the Cabinet.
 
Careful consideration was given to recommendation CE 23/35
(attached at Annex 2) and Cabinet gave due regard to the views of
the Scrutiny Select Committee, the financial and value for money
and legal implications. The risk to the Borough Council’s aim
of providing a balanced approach to the management of its car
parks, detailed in 1.1.1 of the supplementary report, if the
proposals were not implemented, were recognised.
 
It
was also recognised that income generation was essential given the
context of the Medium Term Financial
Strategy and that the Borough Council sought to ensure that its
assets were managed in the most efficient way and that costs were
recovered and optimised. 
 
A
clarification was made in respect of the parking areas around
Avebury Avenue, Tonbridge (west of Holford Street) where the issue
of Business On-Street Parking Permits be revised to a maximum of 3
per business.
 
RESOLVED:   That
 
(1)         
the proposals below be taken forward to public
consultation and the outcomes reported to future meetings of the
Cabinet:
 

a)   
parking charges be extended to include Sundays,
evenings up to 8pm and Bank Holidays;
 

b)   
the on-street parking machines in Avebury Avenue,
Tonbridge (west of Holford Street) be removed, the area be changed
to parking permit only to add capacity to the D1 parking area and
that the issue of Business On-Street Parking Permits in the D1 and
D2 areas be revised to a maximum of 3 per business to allow more
residential parking opportunities;

c)   
parking charges be introduced at Martin Square,
Larkfield (as set out in Annex 1);
 

d)   
parking charges be introduced at both Bailey Bridge
car parks in Aylesford (as set out in Annex 1);
 

e)   
parking charges be introduced to on street parking
bays in West Malling High Street and Swan Street (as set out in
Annex 1);
 

f)    
parking charges be introduced to the existing
Gateway Visitor parking bays in Tonbridge Castle Grounds (as set
out in Annex 1);

 
(2)         
a project to improve the Bailey Bridge East car park
be brought forward in the forthcoming Capital Plan Review;
 
(3)         
a scheme to introduce Automatic Number Plate
Recognition (ANPR) systems at selected car parks on a trial basis
be brought forward in the forthcoming Capital Plan Review;
 
(4)         
a scheme to enable these proposals to be implemented
including CCTV, parking machines and signage be brought forward in
the forthcoming Capital Plan Review; and

 
(5)         
a scheme to extend the existing Upper Castle Field
car park to provide additional parking be brought forward in the
forthcoming Capital Plan Review.