Agenda item

The committee received a report of the Assistant Chief Executive which provided members with a scoping document in advance of a mini review of parking on council land including highway verges and council owned public open amenity space (for copy of report see file of minutes).

The Overview and Scrutiny Officer advised members that they would be looking at two areas in relation to parking problems which would be Highways and Environmental. They would look at current legislation and policy opportunities and the options available to deal with parking on open space amenity land.

The expected outcomes of the review would be as follows:-

·       Members fully aware of the powers and options available in relation to parking on council land.

·       All enforcement and educational remedies in relation to parking on council land would be discussed together with the relevant issues/challenges identified.

·       Members would have the contact details of those Durham County Council officers who could provide advice and support.

The membership of the review group would be all the Environment and Sustainable Communities Overview and Scrutiny Committee in addition to the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Councillor Hopgood who raised the issues with the original motion to Council.

There would be two meetings which would be held on 14 September 2015 and 1 October 2015.

Mr T Bolton advised the Scrutiny Officer that Durham County Council had done a project that looked at footpaths and some of the issues from this project could still be valid.

Councillor May commented on the high costs involved to remove grass verges and there was no Durham County Council budget available and that some residents did not want to get rid of the grass verges.

Councillor Clark referred to the crossover of terminology in the report which needed to be clear. She also referred to housing estates which had now been transferred to various housing providers and there was a need to be mindful of who could use enforcement and would the housing associations adopt any policies.

The Chairman indicated that they were aware that Durham County Council did not own all the land. The Overview and Scrutiny Officer also indicated that they had looked at maps in relation to the areas of land transferred to the new County Durham Housing Group which showed that not all of the land had been transferred over.

Councillor Stradling indicated that enforcement was a key and would be looked at as part of the review process however there is no Durham County Council budget and the police find it difficult to enforce.

Councillor Clare asked that the planners be invited as many issues were in relation to modern estates where the roads were narrow which resulted in refuse vehicles and cars not been able to pass, which meant that people had to park on the pavement to prevent an obstruction. Planning could look at parking bays for future estates.

Councillor Armstrong responded that members would do what they could with this review topic and come up with recommendations however there are limitations to what Durham County Council can do and had recently put in parking bays in his community which had been costly.

Councillor May indicated that sometimes they were utilities underneath grass verges which added to the cost of any proposed scheme.

Councillor Armstrong indicated that new estates were required to provide one and a half parking spaces and if a buggy could get past on the footpath enforcement would not be taken.

Resolved:

That a review group with all members of the committee with the addition of the Chairman and Vice Chairman of Overview and Scrutiny Management Board and Councillor Hopgood be set up.