Issue - meetings

Cabinet, at its meeting on 4 December 2020, will consider a report on the formal application to the Department for Transport to implement civil parking enforcement in the district.

The report of the head of housing and environment, which Cabinet will consider on 4 December, is attached.

Cabinet’s recommendations will be circulated to all councillors.

Cabinet, at its meeting on 4 December 2020, considered the report of the head of housing and environment on the formal application to the Department for Transport to implement enforcement in the district. Cabinet resolved to support an application by Oxfordshire County Council for the introduction of a Special Enforcement Area and bus lane enforcement powers across the districts of Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White House to provide civil parking enforcement and to support the proposal for Oxfordshire County Council to manage civil parking enforcement. Cabinet authorised the head of housing and environment, in consultation with the head of legal and democratic, to negotiate and enter into any formal legal agreements required between Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council.

RESOLVED:to approve the addition of a new civil parking enforcement scheme in the approved capital programme of £60,000 as the council’s contribution to Oxfordshire County Council’s implementation costs, and to approve a revenue supplementary estimate of £30,000 in the 2020/21 budget for costs to be incurred by the council. 

To consider the head of housing and environment’s report. 

Cabinet considered the head of housing and environment’s report on a proposal to introduce civil parking enforcement, being the enforcement of on-street parking regulations.  The report sought approval in principle to authorise Oxfordshire County Council to manage the enforcement in an agreement with South Oxfordshire District Council and Cherwell District Council. 

A cross-council group had worked on various options, which were narrowed down to the proposal to introduce on-street parking enforcement as a joint service for all three districts, covering on-street enforcement only, but not the council’s own off-street car parks.  On-street civil parking enforcement would be carried out using the county council’s existing external provider, whereas the Vale would retain off-street car parks enforcement using its existing external provider.  This was the most cost-effective option, showing an estimated surplus to the council.  The scheme was expected to pay for itself in the long term. 

The Cabinet member supported this proposal, Cabinet members too.  There were likely to be knock-on impacts such as parking displacement and increased use of council car parks.  Councillors asked whether yellow lines could be re-painted where necessary to make the regulations clearer. 

Cabinet noted there was a maximum capital cost to the council of £60,000 to set up the scheme, plus an internal revenue cost of £30,000 in 2020/21.  A recommendation would be made to Council to approve this funding. 

RESOLVED: to

(a)      support an application by Oxfordshire County Council to the Department for Transport for the introduction of a Special Enforcement Area and bus lane enforcement powers across the districts of Cherwell, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White House to provide civil parking enforcement;

(b)      support the proposal for Oxfordshire County Council to manage civil parking enforcement and to authorise the head of housing and environment, in consultation with the head of legal and democratic, to negotiate and enter into any formal legal agreements required between South Oxfordshire District Council, Vale of White Horse District Council and Oxfordshire County Council. 

RECOMMENDED to Council on 9 December 2020 to:

(c)       approve the addition of a new civil parking enforcement scheme in the approved capital programme of £60,000 as the council’s contribution to Oxfordshire County Council’s implementation costs, and to approve a revenue supplementary estimate of £30,000 in the 2020/21 budget for costs to be incurred by the council.