Decision details

Due to the arrangements made under legacy authorities, the parking service has historically been delivered through a split operating model - Off Street enforcement was delivered in house; On Street was outsourced. Following a Better Buckinghamshire Service Review an integrated parking service had been created which provided a more effective delivery model and aligned to national standards where parking enforcement for on and off street was delivered by one Council.

As a pre-cursor to the formulation of this strategy an informal review of the Parking Service was undertaken by a member working group at the request of the Cabinet Member for Transport. The purpose of the review was to assess what potential improvements could be made to better serve the residents of Buckinghamshire and to address legacy inconsistencies and outputs from the review have informed the development of this Strategy.

The proposals set out in the report, and in the draft Parking Strategy (Appendix A) set the strategic direction of travel for the service which would support the MTFP process and balance the Parking Account. The strategy would enable the Council to set out its aims and objectives for parking services, within the context of a rapidly changing industry, across Buckinghamshire and highlight the importance and value that parking services could provide for residents and local communities. Not least, to ensure the associated regulatory requirements were appropriately met for the Council, which included compliance, but also how the parking estate would be financially managed to assess car parks as an asset, along with how parking supported the Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5).

The Parking Strategy set out our vision for parking in Buckinghamshire across four themes: Technology & Innovation, Parking Charges, Enforcement, and Parking Assets which were detailed in the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet -

1.      agree the Parking Strategy for Buckinghamshire which sets out the ambitions and vision for parking across Buckinghamshire.

2.      note the following which are in motion:

a. Public consultation launched week commencing 15 January 2024 on the Traffic Regulation Order to make amendments to provide a more consistent customer experience by; removing unfunded free parking sessions, updating hours of control, including introducing hours and charges in preparation for the new Winslow Station Car Park, and making On-Street charging amendments.

b. Actions to strengthen the in-house parking team and increase enforcement capacity to drive up parking compliance.

c. In the process of joining the pilot of the National Parking Payment Platform – a pilot funded by the Department for Transport to increase flexibility to customers on how they choose to pay for parking and remove the subsidy for Wycombe RingGo fees.

d. A review of our parking estate, which may result in disposal of non-profit making car parks.

e. Preparation in the making to support transition to a digital strategy for payment for parking, as cash payment machines reach the end of life.