Public reports pack PDF 3 MB - Blaby District Council

6. Matters for Consideration
6.1 Cabinet Executive responded to the Scrutiny Commission recommendations
of 17 April 2012 at their meeting on 30 July 2012 (minute 100 refers). All but
one of the four recommendations was agreed. Recommendation three which
requested that assurance is given that no further increases will be applied for
at least two years from the date of the current increase effective from 1 April
2012 was however refused. Scrutiny then presented a further report to
Cabinet on 17 September 2012 (minute 131) requesting that Cabinet reconsider
this decision.
6.2 In accordance with the provisions of The Local Government and Public
Involvement in Health Act 2007, the Cabinet Executive is required within 2
months of receipt of the Scrutiny report/recommendations:
• To consider it;
• To respond by identifying the action proposed in the light of it;
• To publish its response; and
• If Scrutiny has copied the report to a member, the response to be provided
to the member.
6.3 The key document that guides the way the Council delivers car parks is the
Car Parking Strategy. This has 5 strategic aims:
• Provide a range of good quality public car parking facilities which meet the
needs of the whole community.
• Recognise the different characteristics of the main population centres of
Blaby District and liaise with key partners (business, local councils, access
groups etc) in providing car-parking services appropriate to local
circumstances.
• Seek to support the vitality of population centres and local businesses
through the provision and management of appropriate car parking, while
recognising that car parking provision can be an important tool to help
manage traffic in urban areas.
• Reduce burden on the taxpayer and shift the cost of car parking provision
towards the service users and manage the Council’s car parking assets in
a cost effective manner.
• Develop effective communication with customers in order to promote the
service and to gather information to inform the development of the service.
6.4 It is clear that the concern of Scrutiny underlying the recommendation is the
economic viability of Blaby town centre, although this was perhaps not best
expressed in the wording of the recommendation. This accords with
Objective 3 within the strategy which states;
Objective 3 – Maintain a charging structure that maximises the use of
existing car parks, whilst managing a balance between economic,
environmental and traffic management objectives.
Activities
a) Agree and keep under review a structured charging policy for Council
public car parks.
6.5 The scale of the budget challenges facing this Council over the next few years
are such that it would be wholly inappropriate for the Cabinet to close down
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