This meeting will consider a range of topics relating to finance, parking, and the proposed Fossetts Farm development. The Cabinet will hear reports on the government’s recently published local government finance policy statement, the council’s proposed fees and charges for 2025-26, the proposed award of new contracts for parking enforcement, and plans to amend car parking fees and charges. The Cabinet will also hear a report on the proposed development of land at Fossetts Farm, though the Appendices containing the Heads of Terms for the agreement remain confidential.

Fossetts Farm

The Cabinet will be asked to note the latest position in relation to Fossetts Farm, which is a proposed mixed-use development scheme that has been in development for several decades and is intended to include a new stadium for Southend United Football Club and housing.

The Cabinet will be asked to:

• agree to proceed to enter into a new suite of agreements
• note that entering into a new agreement would also release the council from a previous agreement for lease (AFL) relating to the Roots Hall stadium site.
• delegate authority to the Executive Director for Finance and Resources to agree any adjustments required to the transaction and to authorise the completion of the relevant documentation, including the AFL, subject to the completion of due diligence, the delivery of approvals from Merseyside Pension Fund¹ and CBRE², and the inclusion of satisfactory protections securing contributions to the redevelopment of the stadium at Roots Hall.

The report states:

The revised transaction is still based on an income strip model as has previously been described in detail. It relates only to Fossetts Farm save for the arrangements to secure financial contributions to support investment in Roots Hall.

The report describes the new proposals for the site, which include plans to develop:

• approximately 318 homes in the first phase to the north of the site, followed by two further phases bringing the total to no more than 805 homes.
• a high proportion of single-family homes
• a minimum of 20.75% affordable housing, all of which will be for rent, with rents in line with local housing allowance rates.

Proposed Parking Contract Awards

The Cabinet will be asked to:

• approve the award of the contract for Parking Enforcement and Operations – Civil Enforcement Operations & Technology System to the highest scoring bidder
• note progress and agree the principle of the award of the contract for School Crossing Patrol Staffing, to the highest scoring bidder
• delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment and Place to notify the successful bidders of the outcome of the procurements and to enter into relevant contracts.
• delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment and Place to award the contract for the school crossing patrol staffing.
• agree that the identity of the successful bidders will remain confidential until the relevant standstill period concludes
• note the budget implications of the contract awards

The new contracts will replace the current parking enforcement contract, which will expire on 31 January 2025. The Council’s existing arrangements for parking enforcement have been in place since 2016 and have resulted in an average annual overspend of £0.45m. The report states:

The concluded tender exercise is a new opportunity to ensure that the budget is aligned appropriately with the true cost of contract provision.

The report describes the procurement process and states that both procurements were conducted through the CCS³ framework:

Both procurement exercises were conducted through the CCS Framework, chosen for its effectiveness in streamlining procurement processes and achieving resource efficiency.

Proposed Car Parking Fees and Charges

The Cabinet will be asked to:

• approve the proposed parking fees and charges as set out in Appendices A, B, and C of the report
• agree and authorise officers to progress and implement the required Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) changes
• delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment and Place, and/or the Director of Infrastructure and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy (Leader of the Council), to make the necessary Traffic Regulation Orders under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, subject to receiving no objections.
• delegate authority to the Executive Director for Environment and Place, and/or the Director of Infrastructure and Environment in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Corporate Strategy, to consider the outcome of the consultation and determine whether Traffic Regulation Orders, under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 should be introduced or refer objections to Traffic Regulation & Working Party and Cabinet Committee if objections are received.
• note the budget implications of these proposals and that these proposals will be considered and set as part of the budget setting process for the 2025/26 financial year
• agree that the costs associated with implementing these changes will need to be met from existing budgets

The proposed changes to parking fees and charges include:

• refreshed parking zones and charges
• a cap on evening charges of £5 per night
• a new Winter tariff for the central seafront area
• a freeze on the costs of Southend Pass⁴ subscriptions
• free parking in selected off-street car parks serving shopping areas on Sundays during December
• later opening hours for the University Square car park
• inflationary increases to the costs of permits and season tickets

The report explains the reasons for charging for parking:

The primary reason for charging for parking is to effectively manage kerb-side space and demand, in both central on-street locations and car parks as well as residential and business areas. Effective parking management will aim to support wider transport policy objectives, ensuring that on- and off-street space is used more effectively.

Local Government Finance Policy Statement

The Cabinet will be asked to:

• note the summary of the Government’s recent Finance Policy Statement, the timing of release of the Local Government’s Provisional Finance Settlement for 2025/26 and the major reform planned as part of a Comprehensive Spending Review from 2026/27 to 2028/29.
• confirm that the income yield for fees and charges generally across all City Council services will be increased by circa 2.75% with effect from 1 April 2025, under officer delegation, with certain exceptions.
• approve the proposals in principle for the fees and charges changes detailed at Appendix 1, together with a commitment to provide a comprehensive schedule detailing all fees and charges proposed for 2025/26 as part of the final budget report to Cabinet in February 2025.

The report provides a summary of the local government finance policy statement recently published by the government. The report also summarises the Council’s plans and intentions for fees and charges for 2025-26. The report states that the Council intends to increase fees and charges by circa 2.75%, with a number of exceptions detailed in Appendix 1. A comprehensive schedule of proposed fees and charges for 2025/26 will be presented to the Cabinet at its budget meeting in February 2025. The report explains the importance of fees and charges to local government:

Throughout the Local Government Sector, fees and charges have continued to form a critical and important part of helping to fund essential local services to local residents, businesses and communities.