Agenda item

Councillor Fionuala Foley, the Cabinet Member for Highways and the Environment, and the Head of Highways and Transport, submitted joint report regarding a motion at Council about the obstruction of pavements by vehicles and the outcome of investigations by officers of the options for tackling the issue of parking on pavements throughout the Borough.

It was noted that officers and Ward Members regularly receive complaints about vehicles obstructing pedestrian dropped kerbs and vehicle crossings and that the Council has the option to take on additional powers under the Traffic Management Act (2004) to deal with this issue.

In response to a question put by Councillor Matthew Courtliff regarding the proposals enforcing only prohibitions of double parking and parking at dropped footways, and not in respect of more general parking obstruction, Councillor Foley advised that such obstruction was a matter for Police enforcement and that it would be inappropriate to require enforcement in such cases to be the responsibility of the Council’s parking enforcement officers. She added that residents’ views on the more general obstruction issues raised by Councillor Courtliff would be obtained through the proposed consultation and that, as part of the consultation review, appropriate consideration would be given to options open to the Council.

The Council’s Head of Highways and Transport commented on the use of existing legislative powers available to the Council to take action over the inconsiderate parking obstruction of pedestrian dropped kerbs and vehicle crossings and assured the meeting that options to use new legislative provisions to combat more general parking obstruction were kept under review.

Councillor Foley, with Councillor Oliver Donachie, the Cabinet Member for Economy Prosperity, responded to additional questions put by Councillors Jim Grant and Bob Wright regarding:

·        The staff resource available to support parking obstruction enforcement

·        The responsibilities of the Police in respect of highway obstruction enforcement

·        The implications of such enhanced enforcement in areas where residents’ car parking is already recognised to be deficient

·        The inclusion of problems of parking on grass verges as part of the consultation review.

Resolved – (1) That the Motion at Council on 28 September 2017, regarding obstructions of pavements by vehicles (Minute 35 2017/18 refers), be noted.

(2) That the Head of Highways and Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and the Environment, be authorised to (a) arrange consultation with the local community over proposals to enforce prohibitions of double parking and parking at dropped footways, and (b) confirm the start date, duration and closing dates of that consultation.

(3) That the Head of Highways and Transport, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Highways and the Environment, be authorised to consider the consultation responses received and, if appropriate, to introduce enforcement powers permitted under sections 85 (prohibition of double parking) and 86 (prohibition of parking on dropped footway) of the Traffic Management Act 2004, in accordance with the delegated authority contained within the Scheme of Delegations 2018/19 (paragraph 147), subject to giving prior public notice of this intention and the date from which it will apply.

The reasons for the decision and alternative options are as set out in the report to the meeting.