Further to Minute 17 of the previous meeting, the Executive Director for Economic Growth and Neighbourhood Services submitted a report providing the Sub-Committee with the results of the statutory consultation that had been undertaken, which proposed management of the car park (including charges) by Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) at Palmer Park.  A plan showing the area covered by the advertised TRO was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and the responses that had been received to the statutory consultation were attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report explained that the statutory consultation had finished on 5 September 2019 and that the area covered by the proposal was currently paved/hard-standing areas on the park.  Officers were reviewing enforcement/management options for some grassed areas of the park, which were occasionally opened for overflow parking.  These areas were Public Open Space and were likely to require additional legislative and consultation processes for the same restriction to be applied.  Officers were developing a parking permit facility that could be applied to certain established activities that took place at the Palmer Park facilities.  The results of discussions that had taken place with established clubs and users of the facilities, in addition to the consultation responses that had been received, had indicated a high level of demand for an increase to the ‘free’ period of parking and it had been proposed that the restrictions should be implemented with an adjusted tariff, which would allow three hours free parking as follows:

·           Free of charge – 3 hours

·           4 hours – 50p

·           5 hours - £1

·           Each additional hour (or part, thereof) - +50p

·           Night time - £2

It should be noted that parking during the ‘free’ period would still require a Pay and Display ticket to be obtained, although the charge would be £0. 

At the previous meeting officers had been asked to investigate claims by the Park United Reformed Church that it leased the area of parking at the junction with Palmer Park Avenue and Wokingham Road and that this should be included in the TRO and, as a result, officers from the Leisure and Recreation Department had met with representatives of the Church.  A draft lease and Heads of Terms had been drafted many years previously, but had not been completed.  However, it was acknowledged that the Church had been using the car park in line with the principles that had been identified in the Heads of Terms and that the Council had agreed in principle to its use by the Church.  The report therefore recommended that the car parking area should be excluded from the resultant TRO and that officers would work with the Church to formalise an agreement for its ongoing use and maintenance. 

Resolved –

(1)     That the report be noted;

(2)     That the objections set out in Appendix 2, attached to the report to either implement or reject the proposals be noted;

(3)     That, considering tariff-related objections received, the tariff be adjusted in the resultant order to extend the free parking period from 2 hours to 3 hours and the remainder of the tariff would have the timings adjusted, to resume from hour 4 onward, as set out above and in paragraph 4.9 of the report;

(4)     That the area of parking at the junction of Palmer Park Avenue and Wokingham Road be excluded from the resultant Traffic Regulation Order, as set out in paragraph 4.10 of the report;

(5)     That the Assistant Director of Legal and Democratic Services be authorised to seal the resultant Traffic Regulation Order and no public inquiry be held into the proposals;

(6)     That the respondents to the statutory consultation be informed of the decision of the Sub-Committee accordingly, following publication of the agreed minutes of the meeting.