Councillors to vote on free parking issue this evening

Following the consultation visitors could have to pay to use car parks in Dursley, Minchinhampton, Nailsworth, Stratford Park (Stroud) and Wotton-under-Edge from as early as January of next year.

Informal meetings have already been held with town and parish councils to ensure that their input is included within the report.

In summary the report suggests that:

Minchinhampton (Friday Street) and Cainscross: car parks remain free of charge

Dursley, Nailsworth, Stratford Park and Wotton-under-Edge:

• parking charges should be introduced
• a combination of long and short stay car parks should be included in each location

Parking permits: will allow concessionary rates to those who use the car parks most often

Blue badges: will continue to be entitled to free parking

The topic of the introduction of parking charges has proved an emotive one, and the legal framework by which local authorities are allowed to do so contains several clear stipulations.

For instance, the report cites the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 which states that a local authority may provide off-street parking places for the purposes of relieving or preventing congestion of traffic.

Additionally, 'any parking charges should not be set by a local authority for the purposes of generating revenue even though it is an obvious by product of the lawful charging purpose(s) outlined'.

Indeed, carefully balanced budgets which contain an overview of costs and parking revenue in the report show that it would take approximately three years to recoup the initial costs of setting up paid parking and ongoing annual costs.

One of the car parks in Nailsworth that is included in the report to be discussed at tonight's council meeting.

However in 2017 the RAC foundation published data which showed that the authority's 'surplus' for parking fines and tickets in 2015/2016 amounted to £305,000.

At the time a council spokesperson insisted that the surplus for its operations was always pumped back into 'essential services' in local communities.

Ove Arup and Partners, the consultants who completed the report on behalf of the council, completed surveys across 56 car parks in the area and found that by 'industry standards' the parking demands in the district are consistently high - with the exception of Minchinhampton and Cainscross car parks.

Report authors argue that introducing parking charges will encourage visitors to stay for shorter amounts of time in the named towns, therefore increasing the number of visitors who can use parking space throughout the day.

"Arup conclude that charging can bolster the local economy by encouraging a ‘churn’ of visitors and shoppers," the report states.

Although the report also cites the Stroud District Council Future of Town Centres Study 2017 which concludes that in order to survive towns in the Five Valleys must embrace "cafe culture", leisure, tourism and the arts.

And the report authors recognise that the uses listed above also tend to lead to visitors wanting to spend an additional amount of time in the towns.

The report does acknowledge that "there is a lack of recorded evidence beyond the anecdotal in proving or disproving a link between car parking and footfall", before going on to include evidence which they say counters the widely held notion that parking charges will discourage people from visiting some of the towns.

For instance, some of the research included comes from the British Parking Association (BPA) which suggests that 'cost considerations actually come after the location of a car park and the perceived safety of the car park'.

Cllr Norman Kay (Nailsworth, Green) has said that he believes that the introduction of parking charges could be damaging to businesses in Nailsworth

However, although the BPA is a not-for-profit-organisation, it does represent and promote many private parking companies within the sector and its five year strategic plan includes an aim to "inform and influence governments and stakeholders to recognise the need for parking management."

To view the full motion and document pack visit the Stroud District Council website Stroud.gov.uk

Stroud District Council members will consider the recommendation to enter a statutory consultation period after a debate and questions from the public at the strategy and resources committee meeting which begins at 7pm this evening.

Stroud News & Journal and The Gloucestershire Gazette will be covering the meeting live from 7pm this evening.

Members of the public can also view the meeting via webcast which can be found on the Stroud District Council website.